The Grey Lady
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: AU. A lost princess, a knight without a lady, intrigue, and a quest to return home.
1. Once Upon a Time

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

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><p><strong>Once Upon a Time<strong>

Once upon a time the King of Galbadia had two sons. His older son, Caraway, was the child of his first wife and the love of his life. His younger son, Derek, was the child of his second wife who had been foisted on him by the Royal Council. This could have been a recipe for disaster, but the two boys loved one another as if they were from the same womb. This rather irked Derek's mother and her family, for they had wanted to put him on the throne, but there was nothing they could do to break the bond between the two brothers.

The two princes grew older. Both proved to be great warriors, though Caraway was a strategist and general while Derek was more of a knight questing alone. Shortly after both of them had come of age there was a rash of pirate attacks along the coast. Both Derek and Caraway went to help deal with the problem. It was at a keep where the survivors of the attacks had been evacuated to that Prince Caraway met the Lady Julia. She was working there with the healers, and the Prince quickly found himself falling in love with her.

With Prince Caraway making the battle plans and Prince Derek leading the troops, the pirates were soon defeated and on the run. And when they stormed the pirate's headquarters, they discovered a number of prisoners. Among them was a beautiful blond woman named Idalia. She was clearly a foreigner and didn't speak their language well, but that didn't prevent Derek from falling head over heels for her. As they began to mop up what was left of the pirates, the princes made another discovery. Idalia was a sorceress. She lent her powers to the clean up effort providing magical protection and back up when necessary.

It really surprised no one that once the princes returned to the capitol city, it was announced that there would be a double wedding within a year. The people of Galbadia were very pleased with their princes' choices of brides. Lady Julia had always been well beloved due to her acts of charity and kindness, and Idalia was quickly coming to be loved in her new land. Derek's family was not pleased with his choice of bride, however. They had wanted better for him than a sorceress from who knows where. And it turned out to be the straw that broke the camel's back when it came to his relationship with his mother's family. Derek broke all ties with them after the wedding.

Prince Derek and his new bride settled into an estate along the coast while Prince Caraway and his bride settled into life in the capitol. A year later, a delighted Prince Derek announced that he and the Princess Idalia were expecting a child. They were blessed with a little girl, blond with bright blue eyes. She was only a few months old when the announcement came that the Crown Princess Julia was expecting a child of her own. Once again, the country rejoiced, especially when nine months later a healthy baby girl was born. The young princess was named Rinoa. And with her dark hair and dark eyes, Rinoa charmed just about everyone who met her.

There was great peace and joy in Galbadia for many years, and then suddenly misfortune seemed to befall the royal family. First, both Prince Derek and his wife were killed in a freak storm that appeared out of nowhere. Only three months after that, the King of Galbadia himself died of a heart attack. Crown Prince Caraway was quickly crowned king despite the fact that the kingdom was in mourning. Then barely a month later, illness struck Queen Julia. She died within a week.

King Caraway was devastated. He greatly grieved his losses, but his young daughter gave him a reason to continue living. Rinoa was only seven years old. Because he did not wish her to be lonely, two other little girls who had been orphaned were brought into the Royal Nursery. Lady Selphie Tilmit was the daughter of a pair of minor nobles killed by bandits during the autumn hunt. She was a bright and cheerful child and always full of energy. Princess Quistis, the Duchess of Caledonia was Prince Derek's daughter. She was a year older than Selphie and Rinoa. She was a grave child but bright and very protective of those she cared about. The three girls quickly became fast friends, and that is where the story truly begins.


	2. Three Little Maids

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

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><p><strong>Three Little Maids<strong>

The royal nursery was always a busy place. The ladies and her highness were old enough for lessons, but they also spent a fair amount of their time in play. Much to the dismay of some of the governesses, King Caraway let his daughter and wards run free when they weren't in lessons. All three of them had very active imaginations, and Rinoa and Selphie were known mischief makers. Quistis was a little calmer than the other two girls, but her intelligence gave the governesses headaches at times, especially when she was given orders she didn't want to follow.

Princess Rinoa had grown into a beautiful child. Raven haired with dark eyes, she looked very much like Queen Julia. Winsome and kind, she won hearts easily, though she also had a stubborn streak that could frustrate those looking after her. She had also inherited her mother's lovely singing voice and love of music. And while she reminded the king of what he had lost, she was also was his greatest source of hope and joy.

Lady Selphie was six months younger than Rinoa. Small and spirited, the green eyed girl could find mischief just about anywhere. It was not uncommon to find the auburn haired Selphie to get into every possible closet and trunk in her immediate area. Cheerful and energetic, she was a handful, but she kept everyone around her smiling and laughing.

Princess Quistis was the eldest of the three girls as well as the quietest. With pale blond hair and fair skin, she could be like a shadow at times. But while she was quieter than the other two girls, she also was incredibly bright and observant. More often than not, it was Quistis who reined in the other two when they were potentially getting into trouble. She was far more scholarly than her two friends, and the elder girl was often found reading somewhere nearby by where the other two were playing.

Today, Rinoa and Selphie were engaged in a highly involved game of sorceresses and pirates. Quistis had decided to sit this game out and was perched in the window seat with a book. She was willing to provide help and ideas if the younger girls needed it, but she was clearly more interested in her book. The room was full of laughter, and Quistis was quite content. She liked playing with Rinoa and Selphie, but sometimes she didn't have the energy for their games.

"What are you reading, Quisty?" The young princess peered up at her cousin.

"It's a collection of foreign fairy tales."

"Read us one," Rinoa demanded, her game forgotten.

Quistis sighed but smiled. "All right."

The two younger girls joined her up in the window seat, and Quistis began to read. She actually didn't mind reading to Selphie and Rinoa. It was a regular activity for the three of them, and Quistis rather liked the fact that the other girls came to her when they wanted stories or to know something. It made her feel like she was their older sister. And they were by far her favorites of the children at the Royal Court. The three girls didn't actually have much contact with other children except when the court was in session, and even then, they weren't that many children their age.

And the other children in the Royal Court were not exactly kind either. Quistis had often had to rescue Selphie from them. Rinoa was far safer from their taunts and pranks being the Crown Princess of the realm, but even Quistis, who did hold the title of Princess herself, was often mocked and made fun of. Even Rinoa had been a target once of twice. So the three of them were more than happy to spend most of their time together without any other companions. And while they might be a little isolated from their peers, the three of them had lots of fun.

Though Quistis knew that it wouldn't be too much longer that the three of them had such leisure. They already had lessons, but her uncle had already had already let her know that she at least would soon be getting both more lessons and a new governess. They were all getting to the age when they would need to be groomed for their future duties. Not that Quistis minded too much; she rather liked studying. But none of that would probably happen until after the court's annual trip to the Summer Palace.

It was Quistis' favorite part of the year. Before her parents had died, Quistis had lived by the sea, and it was still her favorite place. Her best memories of both her parents, but especially her mother, were at the beach. The Summer Palace was really just a manor house, and everything was much more relaxed than her in the capitol. Quistis knew that it wouldn't be much longer before they set out. They really were just waiting for her uncle's current guests to leave, and then they could be on their way.

"It's time for the young ladies to prepare for dinner," their main governess announced from the door way.

Quistis sighed. The other unfortunate side effect of her uncle having guests was the fact that all three girls had to attend the court dinners. It meant dressing up and being on their best behavior, and after nearly three weeks of it, Quistis was missing the dinners in the nursery shared between just the three girls and sometimes her Uncle Caraway. The governess chivied the girls into their court outfits.

Selphie was the lucky one. Her pale yellow dress was simple enough, and all that was done with her hair was threaded a few matching ribbons through it. Rinoa's dress was pale blue and far fancier. Still, it was a young girl's dress and fairly comfortable, and to go with her ribbons, Rinoa wore a tiara in her hair. Quistis unfortunately was now forced to wear miniature versions of full court regalia. Especially since their governess had chosen pink to be Quistis' color. Quistis herself would have picked green or lavender. It wasn't that she didn't like pink, but did her entire wardrobe have to be that color? Her hair was pinned up in an elaborate arrangement, and she wore a golden circlet denoting her status as a princess. The entire thing was uncomfortable, even if Quistis did like her circlet.

Once the three girls were properly attired, they headed down to the banquet hall. Quistis sighed and then assumed a regal expression as the herald announced the three of them, and they made their entrance. Another night, another boring dinner. Hopefully, this time Selphie wouldn't try and see how many people she could flick peas at without them noticing.


	3. Sandy Shores

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

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><p><strong>Sandy Shores<strong>

Quistis walked along the shoreline alone with a happy smile on her face and waves rolling over her feet. Selphie and Rinoa were currently playing in the sand farther down the beach, but Quistis had been too restless for that. She had abandoned her straw hat and her sandals with the rest of their beach stuff, and now walked in just her sage green sundress with the skirt kilted up above her knees to keep it from getting wet. This was her favorite part of the year. They always spent at least one month, sometimes more, here, and it was at the water's edge that she felt the most at home. Most of her memories of her mother were at the beach.

Her mother had loved the beach. Quistis could remember her mother dancing on the shore and singing. Often she would take Quistis by the hand and lead her through the steps of the dances. Quistis knew all of those dances and most of the songs that her mother had sung by heart. In fact, they hadn't lived all that far from here. Quistis sighed and glanced down at the water washing over her feet. As much as she enjoyed the company of Rinoa and Selphie and liked living with her uncle, she missed her parents.

Still, being here felt good despite the fact that it reminded her of them. When she grew up, Quistis wanted to live near the sea. The breeze blew through her hair, and Quistis closed her eyes. This place always felt like home to her. She glanced down the beach, checking to see if their main governess had gone back to the manor yet. The woman was good at her job, but she also was very strict, and her ideas of what was proper didn't always match with Quistis'. For one thing, the woman didn't approve of ladies of nobility swimming in the ocean. Quistis knew that Uncle Caraway wouldn't mind if she went for a dip. She had grown up in these waters, and she had known how to swim almost before she had known how to walk. But if Quistis wanted to avoid a scolding, she would have to wait until the woman was gone.

But it appeared that Lady Clarisse had left them. With a satisfied grin, Quistis waded out into the water. It was shallow this close to the shore and quite warm. It wasn't long at all before was gliding through the water, completely at come. She didn't leave the little cove, but Quistis ranged quite a distance from the beach. This place was sheltered and didn't have any dangerous currents, so she had very little to worry about. So Quistis enjoyed the warmth of the water and its silky feel against her skin. When she was finally tired, she made her way back to shore, rejoining her family.

"Good swim?" her uncle asked.

Quistis nodded, sprawling out on her towel and letting the sun do the work of drying her off. "Very."

It was only the first of many days spent out on the beach. There was plenty for the three girls to do and explore around the manor house that was the Summer Palace, though the beach tended to be the favorite. All three of them enjoyed the escape from the regular routine and rules of the Royal Court. Here they didn't have to worry about behaving like anything other than children. At court when they were outside of the nursery, they were expected to behave like the noblewomen they were. So during the summer they climbed trees, explored caves, had cook outs on the beach, and enjoyed their freedom.

Not that they weren't protected. There was a full complement of Royal Guards around at all times, but during the summer there was an easing of protocol that allowed the girls to learn how to make a camp and cook outside from their protectors. Those weren't the only things they learned either. All three girls learned the basics of self defense, though each of them ended up having rather different styles and preferred weapons. Despite what might be proper or not, King Caraway wanted his daughter and his wards to know how to take care of themselves in an emergency.

One of Quistis favorite things was the nights they cooked out on the beach and then slept out under the stars. Her uncle would teach them the names of the stars and constellations as well as tell them stories. She especially loved getting up early the next day and being the only one awake as the mist wrapped around everything. Quistis liked to walk the shoreline on those misty mornings. There was something about the solitude of it that appealed to her.

However, summer could not last forever. After two months of fun and adventures, Quistis knew that their time beside the sea was coming to an end. Soon they would make their journey back to the capitol, and things would go back to their normal routine, possibly with more lessons than before. So the three girls tried to cram as much as they could into their final days at the beach. This culminated with yet another cookout and campout on the beach. In the morning, they would head back to the manor house and prepare to leave for the capitol in the afternoon, but their impending departure was not something discussed. Instead, the group celebrated with stories and songs and much silliness. Everyone was exhausted when sleep finally claimed them.

But Quistis woke the next morning in the pale light just before dawn. She was the only one up save for the guard on watch. She nodded at the man, then ducked into the tent that was set up for changing clothes and pulled on a clean dress. The dove grey linen dress was not something Quistis would have normally worn, but just about everything else she had was dirty. She waved at the guard before quietly creeping away from their campsite, wandering down the shore through the mists. It was mostly aimless wandering on her part, though she did have a destination in mind. There was a large stand of driftwood at one end of the beach, and it was a place she liked to sit and think. Quistis figured she had a couple of hours before any of the others started to stir, and she wanted to make her goodbyes to this place in private.

The mist was thick this morning, making it hard to see much, but Quistis didn't mind. She meandered along the shoreline, barefoot and letting the waves wash over her feet. As she walked, she kept an eye out for sea glass. Collecting the worn and polished bits of glass had been a habit picked up from her father. There wasn't much to find this morning though. She had already pretty much picked this beach clean over the past two months. She found a few pieces of clear and amber glass, but that was it, none of the blue or green pieces that were her favorites. It did not take Quistis too long to reach the stand of driftwood. She scrambled up onto it, quickly finding a comfortable spot to perch. Dumping her small collection of sea glass in her lap, Quistis arranged herself so she could watch the sea and waited for the sun to start rising. The noise of a piece of driftwood breaking made her look away from the water.

There was a boy her age staring back at her. He had shaggy blond hair and green eyes. The two of them just stared at one another for a moment. Part of Quistis was miffed at him for interrupting her solitude. But when he didn't interrupt the silence of the morning, Quistis decided that she didn't mind him so much. He climbed up beside her on the driftwood, and together they watched as the sun came up and colored the mist rose and gold. Then they went their separate ways without ever saying a word. It was not until later that Quistis realized that he had added a round bit of pale green glass to her collection.


	4. Changing of the Seasons

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

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><p><strong>Changing of the Seasons<strong>

Her Royal Highness Princess Quistis was currently hiding. Curled up in a window seat in the palace library, she had high hopes that her governess would not find her for at least another two hours. Normally Quistis enjoyed her lessons. According to Lord Giles (her history and literature tutor) she had serious scholarly bent. However, Lady Arlene was bound and determined to turn her change into the perfect marriage pawn despite the fact that Quistis was only thirteen. Quistis was the only one of the Royal Wards who currently had lessons with Lady Arlene. Someone had mentioned to her uncle that since Quistis would make her formal introduction to the Royal Court in three years, it might be a good idea to start her training now.

Of course, Quistis had the feeling her Uncle Caraway didn't quite know what was involved with that training. If he had wanted her to simply be a brainless piece of marriage bait, he wouldn't have given her tutors in most subjects. Etiquette and protocol Quistis could understand. She wasn't exactly looking forward to being a part of the Royal Court, but she was a member of the Royal family, and her actions and interactions with others would be important. She couldn't afford to insult the wrong diplomat. However, learning things like how to flirt with a fan or how to make coy compliments seemed unnecessary to her.

And that was why she was hiding. She would much rather hole up with a book on mythology than put up with those lessons. Quistis sighed and turn her attention back to her book. It was much more pleasant to think about. It did not take her long to become immersed in tales of sorceresses and knights.

It was Rinoa who pulled her out of that world. Quistis wasn't quite sure how much time had passed when the Crown Princess stole her book.

"Quisty, it's tea time. We've been looking all over for you."

Quistis blinked. Had it really been almost four hours? She plucked the book from Rinoa's hands and marked her page.

"All right. Is Lady Arlene gone?"

Rinoa nodded. "Yes. She's pretty annoyed with you, you know."

Quistis just shrugged. "It's not like she's teaching me anything useful. We both know that even if Uncle Caraway asked me to make an alliance marriage, I would have quite a bit of say in the matter. I'm more likely to need lessons in how to beat men off with a stick."

Rinoa laughed. "Now why would you want to do that?"

The blond just sighed and shook her head. Her cousin was quite the romantic. Quistis would admit to being a bit of one herself, but she was also a realist, and she had seen enough of the Royal Court to know what to expect when she became a part of it. Men would want to curry favor with her. They would most likely be more interested in her title and her power than her. Rinoa would face the same thing, though she might be a little more protected from it. She was the Crown Princess after all, and her father could be very overprotective at times. But even at her age, Quistis was enough of a cynic to believe that if she and Rinoa ever found true love, it probably wouldn't be easy or simple.

Tea at least was almost always a pleasant part of her day. Any more tea was just for Quistis, Selphie, Rinoa, and their head governess, Lady Eileen. It was only very rarely that they had guests for tea, and then it was typically only Uncle Caraway. Selphie always joked that they knew they'd have a wicked stepmother figure to worry about if the man ever brought another woman to tea. Not that the three of them really needed to worry about that. King Caraway had never soon any inclination whatsoever of replacing his wife, despite some calls from his advisors to do so. He claimed he had his heir and a spare in Rinoa and Quistis and saw no reason it was necessary for him to remarry. Which was just fine with all three girls.

After tea, Quistis did have to put up with a scolding from Lady Eileen. While the woman did understand that Quistis didn't like or enjoy Lady Arlene's lessons, that apparently was not an excuse for skipping out on those lessons. Then Quistis was sent to join Rinoa and Selphie for their afternoon ride. The ride was one of her favorite parts of the day. It was an escape, at least for a little while. Of course, the three girls were accompanied by their riding instructor and a full contingent of Royal Guards, but still, it was more freedom than they typically had. And on their afternoon ride there was no need to worry about proper manners or 'acting like a proper lady'. Quistis had noticed that the older they got the more things the three girls weren't allowed to do. At least in public.

This afternoon Selphie had chosen the direction of their ride, and they headed into the wood near the palace. It was too small to really be called a forest, but it was a little oasis of wildness near the capitol. Even this late in the autumn the trees were a riot of color, a mixture of red, gold, and orange. The familiar trails of the wood were bright with color and afternoon sunlight, and the girls laughed and chatted as they traveled them. The wood was not a good place for a gallop, but the field they went through on their way back was. The girls arrived at the stables laughing and with windblown hair.

The three of them unsaddled their horses and tended to them themselves. That had been one of the conditions of their riding lessons. If they were going to ride horses, they had to know how to take care of them. Selphie had proved to be a natural on horseback, but all three of them enjoyed the activity. They were on their way back to their rooms to change for supper when the page caught up with them.

"Princess Quistis, his majesty would like to see you in his study."

Quistis frowned but waved Rinoa and Selphie on. It wasn't entirely unusual for her uncle to summon her to his study, though it did often mean that she was in some sort of trouble. Normally it was Selphie who was summoned. Could this be about the lessons that she kept skipping out on? She hadn't thought her uncle would care that much, but perhaps Lady Arlene had been complaining. The girl attempted to make her windblown hair a little more presentable as she made her way to the study. Much of it had escaped from her braid and was wisping around her face. She wasn't able to do much with it before arriving at the thick oak door.

Rapping lightly on the door, Quistis did not wait for a reply before slipping inside. Her uncle was behind his desk. He looked up from his work as she entered.

"Ah, Quistis. Thank for being prompt, dear. Take a seat."

She sat down in the chair across from his desk. Her uncle put down his pen and smiled at her.

"This isn't about the lessons you have been skipping if that's why you look so worried." Then he sighed. "There are two things actually. First of all, I still haven't been able to locate a proper magical tutor for you, but you will be starting lessons on the basics of magic next month. Hopefully, by the time you've mastered those, I'll have found someone who can teach you the more advanced concepts."

Quistis nodded. She was looking forward to the magic lessons. In the past year or so, she had become more and more aware of her magical abilities, and it would be nice to know what to do with them instead of having them slip out of her control every once in a while.

"The second thing is a little more complicated. You've never had much contact with your father's family."

Quistis frowned at that and started to open her mouth. Her uncle cut her off.

"I mean your fraternal grandmother and her kin, not me. Derek broke off contact with them when he married Idalia. They didn't approve of her, you see, and Derek wasn't willing to put up with them. Not that I blame him. Idalia was one of the best things that had ever happened to Derek, and why they couldn't see that is beyond me." Her uncle sighed again. "However, they have requested to have contact with you now. In fact, they requested it quite some time ago. But you're old enough now that you can make up your own mind about things and know better than to believe everything you here. Personally, if it were up to me, you wouldn't have anything to do with them. I don't think they have changed much over the years. They always were power hungry and manipulative, and they've never shown any signs of changing."

Caraway paused, and Quistis waited for him to continue. She knew there was more to this situation.

"They are a powerful family though, and I could be letting my personal biases could my judgment. It's also true that it would be unfair to keep you from your family. You have been invited to the family estate for a two week visit. I won't send you unless you agree. If you don't want to go, you don't have to, Quistis. If you enjoy your time with them, we can set up regular visits. You don't have to make your decision now, but I'll need it by the end of the week."

Quistis nodded; she was still trying to absorb all the information he had just given her. Her uncle smiled at her again.

"Go and get ready for dinner, dear. We can talk about this more later, and I'll try and answer and questions you have."

She nodded and left the room, her mind already working furiously to understand just what was going on.


	5. Journey's Beginning

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

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><p><strong>Journey's Beginning<strong>

Quistis' bed chamber was a flurry of activity. She would have much preferred to pack for herself, but Lady Eileen had vetoed that idea. So Quistis was here supervising along with Lady Eileen. There were a couple of things that she wanted to make sure the maids packed and there were a couple of things she wanted to make sure they didn't pack. It hadn't been long before Selphie and Rinoa decided to join here, making the room even more crowded.

She didn't actually mind that. While Quistis would typically have been annoyed with this intrusion of her space (both by her maids and her friends), right now she found the busyness a good distraction. She was more than a little nervous about the trip she would be taking, and any distraction from it was good at this point. Tomorrow morning she would be leaving with the escort provided by her father's family to stay at the family estate for two weeks. Quistis would have been happier if the guards that were traveling with them were ones she knew, but her father's family had provided guards, and there was no real reason for Uncle Caraway to insist on sending some of the Royal Guard with them.

Quite honestly, Quistis was not comfortable with this entire situation. She had not forgotten what her uncle had said about her father's family, and what Quistis had found when she had done a little research on them had not exactly inspired confidence. However, she was also aware she could be blowing things out of proportion. Her father's family could be perfectly nice. She just didn't know. And not knowing things often made her uncomfortable. It didn't help that she also wouldn't have her normal safety net of Rinoa and Selphie with her. Both of the other girls had a much easier time interacting with new people than she did. Quistis' tended to be more reserved and a little shy. That didn't always serve her well, but that's how it was.

So going into a situation where she would be surrounded with people that she didn't know made Quistis nervous and uncomfortable. But she was planning on going through with this. She had agreed to go for a reason. Even if her uncle hadn't exactly come out and said it, she knew that this trip of her would go a long way in helping secure cooperation with her father's family. And given that they held considerable political power right now, that was important. Quistis knew that there were some very important trade agreement negotiations coming up, and having internal problems during them would put her kingdom at a disadvantage. Besides, part of her curious about her father's family as well.

"I think we're done, your highness." Lady Eileen said. "All that's left is for you to pack your personal saddle bags."

Quistis nodded. "Thank you for your help."

The governess swept out of the room followed by the maids, leaving the three girls alone.

"I can't believe you're going to be for two whole weeks," Selphie complained, flopping down on Quistis' bed.

"And that's not counting how long it will take you get there and back," Rinoa added.

Quistis just shrugged. "I'm sure you'll manage without me."

"But why don't we get to go too?" Rinoa whined.

Quistis almost laughed at that. Her uncle hadn't wanted to send her on this trip, and she was directly related to the people in question. She rather doubted he would be willing to let his own daughter tag along.

"You're not related to these people. I'm going because they want to get to know me."

"It's still not fair."

"Life isn't fair."

Rinoa huffed. Quistis just sighed and began collecting a small assortment of books and a few other personal items she wanted to keep with her. Dealing with a pouting princess was not on Quistis' agenda for the day. Rinoa would just have to get over her disappointment. Quistis was going on this trip, and she was going alone. Hesitating a minute, Quistis added a little jewelry making kit to her collection of things for her saddlebags. Every once in a while in her free time she'd make jewelry using pieces of sea glass and braided cords. It was fairly simple jewelry, but Quistis often found the task soothing. It wouldn't hurt to bring something like that along.

"What do you think your family's like?" Selphie asked, changing the subject.

Quistis bit back the urge to say they weren't her family. "I don't know. My father never talked about them. I didn't realize I had other relatives besides Uncle Caraway and Rinoa until he mentioned them."

"Aren't you excited about meeting them?"

She shrugged again. "I'm not sure. I really don't know what to expect."

And that scared her a little. The next morning was grey and foggy. Dressed warmly in slate blue riding habit, Quistis made her way to the courtyard where the group would be departing from. She would have much preferred to be wearing trousers, but Lady Eileen had insisted she dress and act like a proper lady for this trip. Quistis figured it couldn't hurt to make a good impression to start with. Besides, she had already insisted on riding instead of taking a carriage, and she knew she probably shouldn't press her luck. She hugged Rinoa and Selphie goodbye before going to mount her mare. Her uncle had words with one of Quistis' cousins who would be traveling with her, and then the party finally left.

It was not the most pleasant journey Quistis had been on. The scenery was beautiful, even this late in the fall, but other than that things were rather dismal. No one really talked to Quistis or told her much of anything. When they stopped at an inn for the night, Quistis was given a room with a guard outside the door. She got to bathe and her meals were delivered to the room. The further they got from the capitol, the more uncomfortable Quistis was. More than once she wanted to tell her cousin that the trip was off and they should turn around and take her home. The only problem was Quistis wasn't entirely sure that they would listen to her. She didn't exactly trust her cousin, and she didn't really have any allies here. To tell the truth, she was rather scared.

Nearly five days after they had left the capitol, Quistis sensed a change. It was just as the group started into a wood. She had overheard one of the guardsmen mention that the family estate was on the other side of the wood. Quistis would assume that they had crossed onto the family's land now. But that didn't explain why she was sensing something with her magic. A chill ran down her back, and Quistis found she wanted nothing more than to turn her horse around and gallop for home. Something was not right here. That was what her magic was telling her. Unfortunately, Quistis didn't know enough about her magic to be able to tell what was wrong or what she should do about it.

But the deeper they got into the wood, the more tense Quistis felt. And no one else seemed to be effected. She didn't know how large this wood was or how long it would take to get to the estate, but Quistis wanted to be out of her. Unfortunately for her, it started to grow dark before there was any sign of the wood ending soon, and Quistis didn't think there were any inns nearby. Which meant either they were continuing on through the night or they would be camping out. Under normal circumstances, Quistis did not mind camping out. It was not perhaps her favorite thing to do, but there was something enjoyable about spending the night out under the stars. However, she was well aware that if they spent the night here in this wood, she would not be getting any sleep whatsoever.

Her concern was great enough that she was willing to risk asking her cousin a question. He had shut her down very quickly the few other times she had tried.

"Will we be camping out overnight?"

There was something in his smile that made her shiver. "Yes."

Quistis wished that her uncle had let her bring a weapon other than the small dagger sheathed in her boot. He had said it wouldn't have been polite. Quistis decided that from now on she would be going with safe over polite whenever she traveled. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself. She did not think she was being paranoid about being in danger. As soon as she got to the estate, she was sending a coded message to her uncle and cutting the trip short. Quistis knew that things might get better once she arrived at the family estate, but she wasn't sure they would, and she was honestly scared now.

When they finally stopped to set up camp for the night, it was almost completely dark, and Quistis was edging closer and closer to being terrified. She knew something was wrong here, but she didn't know what. She was on edge, and nothing seemed to change that. She could barely eat when she was handed her supper which consisted of a hunk of break and a bowl of stew. The only reason she ate it at all was she knew she might need her strength later on. If she had to make a break for it, she would and consequences be damned. Quistis might only be thirteen years old, but she was aware that there were some situations where one just had to run away. This was beginning to feel like one of them.

She didn't bother changing into her nightclothes. Quistis simply pulled off her boots, slipping her dagger beneath her pillow, before curling up in the bedroll that had been provided for her. She lay there with her eyes closed feigning sleep. There was no way she would be able to sleep tonight, but no one else needed to know that. In fact, it was probably a very good idea if no one else knew that. She strained her ears, trying to hear something useful, but what did overhear was mundane conversation between the guards. She curled up in a tighter ball. One had gripped the dagger beneath her pillow tightly. So Quistis was not completely unprepared when in the darkest part of the night someone grabbed her.


	6. Bound

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

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><p><strong>Bound<strong>

Quistis wasn't caught completely off guard, but she was at a disadvantage. She was outnumbered, and a thirteen year old girl against grown men was rarely ever a fair fight. Still, Quistis was proud of the fact that she had managed to bruise some of them and even get one of them with her dagger before she had been disarmed and tied up. Her hands had been tied behind her back, and she was thrown over a saddle like a piece of luggage. She couldn't even tell where they were taking her. It got even worse when the horse started moving.

It was probably the most uncomfortable horseback ride Quistis had ever taken. She didn't even know how long it had been before she was pulled off the horse and forced to kneel on the ground. She was still in the wood, though they were now in an almost perfectly round clearing. And it wasn't just her cousin and his guards anymore. There were several other cloaked figures, but Quistis couldn't see any of their faces. A woman stalked forward and grabbed Quistis' chin, forcing her to look up.

"What a waste. You even look like that foreign bitch. You have your father's eyes, but that's it. Nothing else of your noble heritage remains. All that is left of your father's legacy are a foreign whore's daughter's blue eyes."

Quistis glared up at the gray haired woman, furious at the insult to both her parents. This couldn't be her grandmother since she was dead, but it could be her great-aunt, Countess Oriana Carrente of Aviemore. She was the current matriarch of the family. Quistis bit her lip. She didn't want to say anything she would regret. At least not yet.

"Still, you're pretty enough, and there might be a use for you later on." The woman let go of her chin. "I'd rather have you if we need you rather than try and come up with something else later on. Bind and gag her. It will be an hour before we can begin the ritual."

Quistis shivered. She didn't know what was going on. She just knew it wasn't good, and she was in danger. There was no way that this could end well. Before she had any chance to really struggle, Quistis found herself bound hand and foot, gagged, and then left behind as if she was nothing more than baggage. Furthermore, while she could still hear and see things, it looked like people were going out of their way to avoid her. She couldn't figure out what was going on unless she had something to work with.

Fear and anger warred with one another, and fear was winning. It terrified Quistis not to know what was going to happen to her and to be completely powerless to protect herself. Her fear skyrocketed when the countess and a group of women approached her. The countess barely glanced at her before ordering, "Strip her and prepare her for the ritual."

Despite her struggles, Quistis could not manage to get loose while the women untied her and stripped her down to her shift. Her hair was unbound and combed out to hang straight down her back. Her hands were bound again behind her back, but instead of rope this time it is leather straps and silver chains. The leather straps are tight enough that she knows she'll lose circulation in her hands. There is something oddly familiar about this as if she read something about it long ago. Quistis gave up her struggles as useless and instead turned her energy to racking her brain trying to figure out why this was vaguely familiar.

She does her best not to panic when they fasten a leather collar around her neck and tighten to the point where she almost can't breathe. Quistis didn't think they were planning on killing her. At least not yet. From the sounds of things they might need her later on, and so she was safe enough until then. At least her life was. There were other things that they could do to her, and Quistis tried very hard not think about that. A thin silver chain like the ones wrapped around her wrists was wrapped around her neck and then allowed to dangle down her front to her now bare feet.

It was in a story. Quistis had found this exact scene described in a story, even if she couldn't remember the details or which story it was. She tried her hardest to remember even as she was forced to eat thirteen pomegranate seeds one by one and then forced to drink something vile from a silver chalice. It had been in that foreign fairytale book her uncle had given her. The story had been about an evil sorcerer and a clever girl. This ritual had been in it, but Quistis couldn't remember what it had done. Countess Oriana took hold of the length of chain, and Quistis had no choice but to follow her.

Quistis was led to the center of the clearing were there was a large expanse of stone instead of grass as if someone had deliberately placed a flagstone floor there. Once she was standing on the stone, a circle of cloaked figures formed around her and the countess. Outside of the circle, Quistis could see the guards holding position. Countess Oriana gestured, and two men came forward to stand on either side of her. Both wore grey robes. One held a staff while the other held a sword. The countess gestured again and chanting rose from the circle of people surrounding her in a language that Quistis couldn't understand but seemed familiar.

Quistis' eyes went wide as she remembered in stunning detail that story. The evil sorcerer had been binding girls to his will and turning them into slaves. She would have cursed if she could make her vocal chords work. She had remembered, but she didn't think there was anything she could do about it now. Her blood was rushing in her ears, and she couldn't understand anything they were saying. Then the chanting stopped, and clarity returned. The countess stood before her, still holding onto the chain.

"You are no longer her Royal Highness Princess Quistis Cariad Serian, the Duchess of Caledonia. She no longer exists. From now on you are Quisty Trepe, a common servant. That is the only name and title you may claim." Countess Oriana smiled. "You will obey orders or you will be punished. And you will never tell anyone what happened here tonight."

Quistis felt something tighten around her despite the fact that she couldn't see anything. It was like her entire body was caught in some sort of vice. Then Countess Oriana pressed a fingertip to her forehead, and the world fell away and went black.

* * *

><p>It was a week later that King Caraway received the news. The party traveling to the Carrente family estate had been attacked by a group of bandits. All of the guards had been found dead on the road through the wood that separated the estate from any nearby villages or towns. Quistis' cousin's body had been found as well. There had been no sign of Quistis or her horse, and the luggage had been ransacked. The assumption was that Princess Quistis had been kidnapped.<p>

Caraway mobilized the Royal Guard to search for her. But while they found bandits, they also found absolutely no sign of Princess Quistis. Two weeks later it was clear that the only way they were going to find Quistis would been when the ransom demand came. It was a hard blow for Caraway, and even harder for Selphie and Rinoa. He had tried to shield them from the news for as long as he could. The three girls might not have been born from the same mother, but they were sisters in everyway that mattered. It didn't help that Caraway blamed himself. He never should have let Quistis go on the trip. He had thought sending her to visit the Carrentes was a mistake from the start.

It was a month later when he started to realize that there would be no ransom demand. There had been no sign of such a thing, and Caraway had to accept that this might not have been the straight forward kidnapping that he had thought. And if whoever had taken her didn't want her for ransom, he didn't want to think about what they might want. But even though there had been no ransom demand, he wasn't ready to give up hope just yet. There was still one more thing he could try.

The king sent for mages. Trusted mages with the best credentials. He even sent out envoys to see if they could find a sorceress to help. They were very rare, Idalia being the only one to appear in Galbadia in nearly a century, but they were known to be the strongest magic users in the world. None of the envoys found one, but a handful of mages came. They spent a month trying different methods to find the lost princess, but in the end there was only one conclusion that they came to. Princess Quistis was dead. It was the only thing that could explain the total lack of her presence on the world. Despite the fact that she wasn't trained, it was known that the princess had the potential to be a mage, and the only reason that no one could find any trace of her magical presence would be her death.

Two weeks later a state funeral was held for Quistis with full honors. The Carrente family attended. King Caraway didn't like it, but they were Quistis' kin, and there had been no proof that they had anything to do with the young princess' disappearance and death. Caraway didn't remember much of the service. He spent it holding Rinoa's and Selphie's hands. Neither girl could stop crying. The loss of their sister was more than either of them could bear. They held tight to each other and to him, and Caraway wished more than anything that he could remove this pain from them.

Though there was no body to bury, Quistis was given a memorial monument in the Royal Tombs. The court remained in mourning for six months after her funeral. King Caraway, Princess Rinoa, and Lady Selphie stayed in mourning for a full year. But the new servant girl in the Carrente household never learned any of this. She was kept isolated from the rest of the world on the Carrente estate, and none of the other servants thought anything of it. After all, why would a foreign girl who had taken a post as a servant care about the royalty of Galbadia?


	7. Learning Experience

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

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><p><strong>Learning Experience<strong>

Quistis woke on a straw pallet that did little to protect her from the cold of the stone floor. She was used to that now though. The weak light coming through the high, narrow window told her it was an hour before dawn. With a sigh, she rolled to her feet. It didn't take her long to wash her face in the tiny basin she had and pull on her grey dress. Quistis unbraided her hair, combed it out, and quickly rebraided it. The thick blond plait fell past her waist now. It was a reminder of how long she had been here. Tying her apron in place and slipping on her shoes, Quistis finished her morning preparations in under fifteen minutes and hurried to the estate's kitchen.

It was a familiar pattern of life now. It had been ingrained in her since the first day she had awoken in that dingy cellar of a room. She had been Quisty Trepe for six years now, and her routine was familiar. As far as anyone here knew, she was a foreign girl taken in as servant. It had been hard at first. Quistis had no experience with a servant's duties, and while she knew a little of basic housekeeping and plain cooking, it was not enough for her to easily transition to her new role. Especially since the Carrente family took great pleasure in worker her harder than any of the other servants and giving her the worst tasks.

At this point, they thought they had broken her. As far as only was concerned, she was an obedient little servant girl who did as she was told and didn't cause trouble. They were wrong. They had underestimated her from the start, and Quistis had used that to her advantage. She had caused trouble at first. She had done it deliberately on a number of occasions and been caught doing it just as deliberately. Quistis had used to hide her actions on several occasions during the early days of her servitude. Because if they were punishing her for one thing, they were less likely to discover what else she might have done. For example, they had never realized that she was the one who had stolen possessions out of her personal saddlebags.

They had been all that Quistis had left of her old life, and she hadn't been willing to give everything up. She hadn't been able to get everything, but she had managed to spirit away what was most important to her: her favorite three books, her jewelry making kit, and the two miniature portraits. The portraits were of her parents and of the three girls together. They were all that Quistis could truly call hers now, and she would not give them up for anything. She kept them safely hidden in a protected hollow of the garden wall. That had only been her first act of rebellion.

Quistis had systematically tested the strength and limits of the spell that bound her, looking for whatever loopholes and weaknesses she could find. It had been painful at times, but she thought it was worth it. There wasn't much she could do. She couldn't tell anyone who she really was. She couldn't answer question that even might reveal who she was. She could not disobey a direct order from any member of the Carrente family. However, all she had to was follow that order to the letter. If it was too specific or two general, Quistis could often get around it.

The consequences of trying to refuse an order or tell someone who she was were not good. Dizziness, nausea, breathlessness came from refusing orders, getting worse the longer she held out. Trying to tell someone who she was actually caused her throat to close and Quistis would lose the ability to breathe. Both could cause her to pass out if she wasn't careful.

The only other thing the spell affected was her own magical abilities. Quistis could still sense things, and she always knew if something was magic or not, but she could not do a single thing with her own magic, not even by accident. It was inconvenient, but there was nothing she could do about it. At the very least, it did allow her to see the spell that bound her when she concentrated hard enough. She spent her free time studying it whenever she could. Quistis was determined to find a way to break the spell that bound her. It was slow going, especially since she knew very little about magic, but she wasn't going to give up.

Getting a nod from the cook, Quistis took up her normal job in getting breakfast put together. At this point, she could do the work half asleep and didn't need to think much about it. Her first year had been a learning experience. At thirteen and freshly arrived she had been at turns terrified and frustrated. She didn't know what she was doing, and everyone seemed to expect her to. It had taken time and patience for Quistis to learn how to be a servant. It did help when she realized that the better she was at her job, the more free time she ended up with. And free time was precious to Quistis now.

She used it for more than just studying the binding spell. Quistis slipped in an out of the estate's library whenever she could manage it, borrowing books. She might not have teachers anymore, but that didn't mean she had to stop learning things. Especially not when they might help her. The library didn't have the best selection of books, but Quistis managed. Her free time was also used for remembering, but only when she was certain she was all alone. Quistis was very careful not to show how much she missed her home. But she did try and take time to remember what she had lost. She was determined not to let the Carrentes make her forget that she had been loved and happy once.

It was a fairly lonely life. Quistis had allies among the servants but no friends. She wasn't sure if she could really trust any of them, and to be honest, none of them really knew her. They knew Quisty Trepe, and while Quistis might be forced to be her, she refused to accept that identity as all she was now. With a sigh, Quistis finished loading the breakfast trays and set off to deliver them. Many of the ladies of the house preferred to take breakfast in bed. It was not a task that Quistis particularly enjoyed.

Passing a mirror on her way, Quistis paused a moment to stare at her reflection. The past five years had changed her in a number of ways. Gone was the slightly gawky thirteen year old that she had been. Quistis looked like a young woman now, tall and slender. At nineteen, Quistis was clearly an adult. She tried not to think about the fact that had she been at court, she would have come of age when she was eighteen, and now there would probably be arrangements for her marriage being made. Quistis bit her lip and continued on her way.

She knew next to nothing about what was going on in the world outside of this estate. The Carrentes were careful not to let any information slip around her, and the servants didn't gossip about much besides local affairs. So Quistis didn't know how Rinoa and Selphie were doing. Rinoa turned eighteen this year and would officially be of age. There would be a grand ball to celebrate, and Rinoa would start taking on serious duties as Crown Princess. There would also probably be a push to marry Rinoa off, but knowing her Uncle Caraway, Quistis rather doubted that would happen quickly or easily. He wasn't going to give up his little girl to just anyone.

Whatever reason that the Carrentes wanted to be able to control Quistis for, it hadn't been revealed yet. All they had done so far was make a servant of her and try to break her spirit. Quistis had done her level best to keep her eyes open for any sort of clue, but so far she had come up with nothing. She didn't know why they wanted her or what they were planning to do with her. It bothered her a great deal, but there was nothing that she could do about it. She had learned a fair amount about the Carrentes though. She didn't know if any of it would ever be useful to her, but Quistis horded the knowledge.

They were not like her own family. That much had been clear from the start. Countess Oriana was the clear leader. In her time here, there had been one attempt by another family member to take over as head of the family. It had failed dismally. Most of the family members didn't bother with that sort of thing. Instead, they jockeyed for position as one of Oriana's favorites and for power over one another. No one really trusted one another. Alliances were made and discarded. Backstabbing and betrayal were common. Friendship was pretty much unheard of. And they all seemed obsessed with power. It did not seem like a comfortable or pleasant way to live to Quistis.

While Quistis knew that she had not met all of the Carrentes and there ways always a chance that some of them were different, she did know that she wanted as little to do with this family as possible, even if they were her kin. Once she figured out a way to get free, she would be gone. She didn't entirely know what she would do then. She hadn't thought about it too much. Getting free would take quite a bit of doing, and at this point Quistis had to admit that she wasn't even close to accomplishing it. It was probably a good thing that she had a great deal of patience or she might have done something very rash by now.

Once the breakfasts were delivered, Quistis moved on to her next task of the day. She worried her lower lip as she started on the washing. Lately, she'd had an odd feeling of foreboding and strange dreams. Well, to be honest, she'd been having strange dreams for at least a year now. They had changed some recently. Before they had been about Rinoa and Selphie, now they were simply about Quistis. Even if she couldn't remember the details of most of them. She just knew that she was there in them, and that most of the time she was standing on a beach somewhere. Other than that the details were vague as always faded as soon as she woke.

Quistis wasn't sure what to make of it. It wouldn't bother her so much if it wasn't for the fact that the dreams were so frequent. They hadn't started out that way, but now she was having several of them a week. They felt like they were important even if Quistis couldn't quite articulate why. But the last time she'd had feelings of foreboding this strong, she had ended up bound by this damn spell that held her captive. So she wasn't going to discount anything right now. With a soft sigh, she refocused on the task at hand. Right at this moment, she didn't know anything and she couldn't do anything. But when that changed, she needed to be ready to act.


	8. Into the World

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

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><p><strong>Into the World<strong>

Countess Oriana was holding court at tea with Quistis serving when the subject first came up. Oriana liked to hold a formal high tea at least once a week with all the ladies currently residing at the estate. Quistis wasn't often called to serve at these gatherings, but sometimes Oriana liked to rub it in her face just what she had done to the younger woman. Quistis bore it with grace anymore for two reasons: it wasn't like she had any other choice, and it was her best chance of hearing something about what was going on beyond the grounds of the estate. Oriana tried to keep her as ignorant as possible of the events of the outside world, but Quistis occasionally managed to glean tidbits of information.

This afternoon the subject of Rinoa's birthday celebrations came up. Quistis bit her lip. If she had been home, last year she would have been celebrating the same milestone. Apparently, the kingdom was going all out to celebrate the Crown Princess' coming of age. There would actually be Summer Court this year, and that would be the start of the festivities which would last all the way to Rinoa's actual birthday. And it sounded like the whole Carrente household would be attending. They apparently had plans. Quistis did her best to look meek and impassive. She couldn't betray her feelings on the matter.

She didn't dare for several reasons. Getting away for the estate would be a step in the right direction. Quistis doubted that Oriana would just leave her behind when all members of the family would be away. Only members of the Carrente family could give her orders after all. Leaving her here on her own would be an opportunity that Quistis doubted Oriana was willing to allow. Part of Quistis was hoping that if she got to the court, someone there might recognize her or be able to help her. There was always the chance that there was something someone could do about the spell she was under. And quite frankly, Quistis wanted to see her family again, even if it was at distance. If they took her along as a servant when they went to court this year, there was a small chance that things could go very right for her.

So she did her best not to look interested as the ladies discussed the various events. It was extremely difficult when she realized that the Summer Court would be held at her parents' estate. Quistis had not been there in years, even before she'd been bound by the Carrentes, and she wanted to go home. Some of her happiest memories were there. She also picked up on the fact that it was going to be quite a marriage market out there. Both Selphie and Rinoa would be on the market now, and Quistis knew that there were several Carrente girls around the same age. Political wrangling and alliances would definitely be going on. Quistis knew that the Carrentes had ambitions. That was another reason for her to go. If she was there, she might be able to protect Rinoa and Selphie from the Carrentes' machinations if need be. She knew they weren't about to play nice, and Quistis refused to let them hurt her family if she could help it.

It wasn't until three days later that the countess announced to the household at large that the entire family would be attending Summer Court this year. It sent the servants into a flurry of preparations. Not only was there packing to be done and arrangements to be made, but also there were dresses to be altered and jewelry to be cleaned and polished as well as choosing which servants would accompany the family. While it was true that most of the women's wardrobes would probably be ordered and made when they reached the court (so they could keep current with the latest fashions), the ladies had to have something to wear when they arrived at court and until their new clothes were ready.

Quistis couldn't remember ever being this busy before. From dawn to dusk she barely a moment of rest. But there was an excitement and anticipation that she couldn't deny. She was going to be one of the servants going to the Summer Court. In fact, Quistis had been assigned to act as a ladies maid for Aurelia and Calista Carrente. They were about her age and the highest ranked of the Carrente girls. Of the seven Carrente girls of marriageable age in the extended family, those two would be expected to snare the best catches, and that was their main focus. Quistis couldn't say it would be a pleasure to be their servant, but at least she knew what to expect from them.

She made her own preparations for the trip in what little time she could steal for herself. There was always the chance that she might never have to return here again, and if that was the case, there were some things she wanted to make sure she had with her. Quistis was more than ready to leave. Of course, she didn't have much, even compared to the other servants. Each servant would take with them several sets of their livery as well as whatever special clothes they had. The word was that there would be celebrations for the servants to participate in as well. Quistis herself had one dress other than her servant's livery, and it was hardly appropriate for any kind of celebration, just a simple dove grey sun dress. Even the other maids had more clothes that she did.

But at last all the preparations were made, and it was finally time to be underway. Like the other servants, Quistis rode in one of several carts. Unlike the others, she was fairly silent as they set off. Countess Oriana had called her into study to reinforce some orders. For the most part, it was the same as when Quistis had first been bound, but the countess made it clear that if Quistis put even just a toe out of line, she would be severely punished. Quistis took the lecture and threats with grace. It didn't mean changing her plans at all, just being more careful about them. She was not about to let Oriana intimidate her out of attempting to get free.

The trip to the Summer Court was strange for Quistis. She had not been off the Carrente lands in five years, and while some things had changed, many things had not. For the most part, the land seemed to be doing well and the people seemed happy. Part of her had expected things to have changed. But life had gone on without her when she'd been trapped by the Carrentes, and it was obvious to her now. It made her feel rather bittersweet. Oh, she had known that things would have changed at least somewhat, but seeing and experiencing it was completely different from just knowing it. She watched the fields and towns they passed through with sharp eyes, looking for things familiar and different at the same town.

The journey took almost two weeks. They were a large party, and they were only as fast as their slowest member. Furthermore, when the nobles in the party didn't get out of bed until nine in the morning, there was limited time in the day for traveling. It was safe enough to travel at night, but the countess had apparently decided against that course of action. So they slowly made their way through the countryside, heading towards the coast. The closer they got to the sea, the more impatient Quistis was to be there. It seemed like the nobles were twice as demanding on the road than when they were at home, and Quistis wanted a break. She wanted to be someplace where she could slip off for a few moments to herself without attracting attention to herself.

Still, at least being out on the road allowed Quistis to learn a few things. In the towns and villages they passed through, no one minded chatting about the latest gossip and rumors. Rinoa was very popular. It was clear that the Crown Princess had taken after her mother both in terms of caring for her people and in terms of being beloved by the population. Apparently, Rinoa had had an unofficial court since she was sixteen. Selphie was a member of course, but Quistis didn't recognize any of the other names mentioned. As it also turned out, Rinoa was a sorceress herself. There apparently had been some trouble during which this had been revealed, but Quistis couldn't get anyone to tell her any details about this. However, as a result, Lady Edea, a sorceress from Balamb, had come to the Royal Court to teach her. So far there had been no concrete news of any sort of marriage offer for Rinoa, but people were hoping with her birthday and coming of age that would change.

It made Quistis wonder how much Rinoa and Selphie had changed over the years. Would she still recognize them if she saw them? Would they recognize her at all? Quistis knew that she had changed over the years, but as far as she was concerned, she still looked like herself. But then she was used to seeing her reflection. Maybe it wasn't so obvious to other people. Of course, this was assuming that she would get a chance to see Rinoa or Selphie. Quistis was actually rather surprised that she hadn't already received orders to stay away from anyone she had associated with before. She was also going to do her best to try and make sure that no one thought to give that particular order.

On the afternoon they arrived, they were not the only party of nobles getting there. Needless to say that it was not simple or quick to get everyone situated. And of course as a servant, mostly it meant work for Quistis. While she didn't have to do any of the heavy lifting, she did have to make sure that all of Aurelia and Calista's luggage was taken to the proper rooms, and then she had to unpack it all. Once that was done, the two young women demanded her attention in getting them out of their traveling clothes and changed for supper. While they ate, Quistis turned down the beds and laid out nightgowns for her mistresses. She had barely had time to catch her breath before Aurelia and Calista returned.

Quistis helped them prepare for bed before being finally able to slip out and get herself a meal. Instead of joining the rest of the servants for their supper, Quistis helped herself to some of the bread and cheese on the sideboard in the servant's dining hall as well as nabbing an apple. Then she quietly slipped away. She doubted that anyone would miss her, and there was something she needed to do. Despite the fact that she hadn't been in this building for years, Quistis still knew the place like the back of her hand. She was careful not to be seen as she made her way through the corridors. She didn't really want to explain to anyone what she was doing. She didn't have a good excuse, and she would be unable to give people the details they needed to know to understand.

Castle Caledonia was really more of a palace than a castle. It had been built as a retreat for the royal family rather than as a stronghold or fortress. It was close to the water and overlooked a cove with a perfect white sandy beach. In fact, there was a public terrace (as well as several more private balconies) that overlooked that view. The sun had already set and twilight had descended, leaving the area mostly abandoned. Quistis quickly climbed up on the stone railing, sitting facing the sea. The stone was still warm from the day's sun, and the temperature was quite comfortable. Quistis took a deep breath of the sea air, taking in the familiar smell and taste of salt water in the air and the sound of the waves. She was home.

She stayed there until her meal was finished, and then with a regretful sigh, she sought her bed.


	9. Introductions

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

><p><strong>Introductions<strong>

Quistis was exhausted, and the day wasn't even half over. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Her entire morning had been spent following Calista and Aurelia from shop to shop as they expanded their wardrobe. While many of the things they ordered had to be made to their specific order and would be delivered later, Quistis had still ended up carrying plenty of packages. It did not help at all that the harbor city of Inshes (just a few miles away from the palace) was the largest place she'd been in years, and Quistis didn't have the smallest amount of money to spend. It would be absolutely lovely to have something that wasn't a hand-me-down. Even if it was just underwear.

But that wasn't very likely. So after the torturous shopping trip, Quistis had spent the rest of the morning putting away their purchases and cleaning their rooms. She had been hoping to steal a few minutes of time for herself as well as grab some lunch, but she had just been ordered to go and check the carriage her mistresses had used in order to find a missing hair ribbon. Needless to say, Quistis wasn't that pleased about the assignment. Thankfully though, the order had been to look for the hair ribbon, not find it. She could just peek in the carriage, and when she didn't see the silly thing she could go on with her day.

After briefly checking the carriage for the ribbon and finding no sign of it, Quistis let out a sigh. Now was the time to make her escape if she could scrounge up the energy to walk back to the servant's dining hall.

"Hey, girl, grab that bag hanging on the stall next to you and bring it over here." A male voice startled her.

Quistis whirled to face the speaker. It was a young man about her age standing at the entrance of the stables. He was clearly a noble given the quality of his clothes, though he was dressed sensibly. His blond hair was short, and his eyes were startling dark sea green. He was holding onto the reins of a dappled grey mare.

"I'm not your servant." The words slipped out of her mouth without any thought at all.

To her utter surprise, he just smirked at her. "Maybe not, but Siren here deserves a treat for all her hard work, and I can't reach the bag of apples from here."

She dug into the bag he mentioned, found and apple, and tossed it to him. He caught it one handed.

"Good toss, girl. Put a little more force behind it, and you could really hurt someone."

It sounded like a compliment, though she bristled a little at being called 'girl'. Quistis found herself rather confused. This was the first time she had dealt with any of the nobility who wasn't a Carrente in years. Technically, as a servant, she was far below his station. But he wasn't treating her that way. He was actually treating her like an equal, and that was confusing to say the least.

He was still smirking at her. "You'd better tell me your name before I piss you off by calling you girl again."

"Quisty Trepe."

He wrinkled his nose at her. Quistis just shrugged.

"I didn't choose it."

"Well then, Quis, I'm Seifer Almasy."

The nickname didn't faze her. It was actually closer to her real name than Quisty. Besides, it wasn't really that likely she'd run into this man again. She didn't recognize his name, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.

"A pleasure to meet you." The words rolled off her tongue. It was habit engrained after years of training; she only stopped herself from calling him 'my lord' at the last minute.

The truth of the matter was she didn't know how she felt about him. In less than five minutes he'd left her off balance. He both irked her and intrigued her. She hadn't had such a strong reaction to another person in ages, and it threw her more than a little. Quistis had little control of her life except for her emotions, and now even those were out of her control at the moment. She smoothed the grey folds of her skirt.

"Do you need something else or can I go back to work now?"

"By all means, don't let me stop you."

She could feel his eyes on her as she left though, and Quistis didn't know what to make of it. She kept her steps unhurried despite the fact that she suddenly wanted to be some place else. She wasn't going to let him know that he had gotten to her. Quistis bit her lip as she headed for the servant's dining hall. She was not at all acting like herself today.

* * *

><p>That had been interesting. Seifer kept an eye on Quisty until she disappeared from sight. He had not expected her to spar back when he'd asked for the bag of apples. Most of the servants here were either meek and obedient or just efficient. Only a few would have acted as she did, and they were all old family retainers. Given her uniform, she was with one of the noble families that had just arrived. He couldn't remember what the name of either family was, but there hadn't been any other new arrivals since, so it shouldn't be too hard to find out.<p>

He had to admit that he'd been struck by her the moment he'd spotted her. It was mostly her eyes. Expressive blue eyes set in a delicate face that he almost swore was familiar somehow. Her thick braid of pale blond hair fell just past her waist, and his first thought had been that he knew her. His second had been that she wasn't a servant. Or at least, she hadn't started out as one. Seifer had been in the Royal Court long enough to know how noble ladies moved and acted. As a knight it was important that he paid attention to body language. Quis wasn't just a servant.

She was a puzzle he pushed to the back of his mind as he stabled Siren. The horse had been a gift to Rinoa, but no one was letting the Crown Princess ride her until she was properly trained. Seifer was still trying to figure out who he had got stuck with that job. He and his foster brothers had come to Galbadia when Seifer was fifteen and the rest were fourteen. Their foster mother, the Lady Edea, had been asked to train one of the princesses in magic. Matron had brought her four foster sons with her as well as husband. However, when they had finally gotten here, they had discovered that the princess she as supposed to train was dead.

However, they had stayed awhile anyway. Seifer and Squall had gone into training to become knights, and Seifer had befriended the Crown Princess. For awhile people had thought that the two of them might marry, but really, Seifer saw Rinoa as a little sister more than anything else. Then there had been that whole mess with the Sorceress Ultimecia and learning Rinoa was a sorceress herself. The up side to that had been that it had become clear to everyone that Squall was Rinoa's knight and would probably marry her once they were both old enough. The only thing about the ordeal that had really annoyed Seifer was that Squall had gotten a quest before he did. Well, Seifer had participated in that quest, but it had been Squall's. Seifer wanted one of his own.

He was getting restless. Of his three foster brothers, he had been closeted to Squall, though that was more of a rivalry thing than anything else. But all three of them were beginning to settle down now. Squall and Rinoa would probably announce their engagement as soon as Rinoa came of age, and Irvine was quite happy perpetually courting Lady Selphie Tilmitt. Even Zell had recently managed to start courting the woman he'd been mooning over for nearly two years. Meanwhile, Seifer didn't have much to do save for hang around the court and fight in tournaments which he mostly won.

What Seifer wanted was a challenge of some sort, and he had the feeling that Quisty might be one. She was a mystery certainly. As was the nagging feeling that he had met her before. It certainly hadn't been anytime recently. He would remember that. Seifer was not in the habit of forgetting beautiful women, and Quisty was prettier than most. She also was not as artificial as many court ladies. He supposed she could be a foreigner. He had lived in Centra most of his life after all. She did look rather foreign compared to many of the Galbadian nobles.

Seifer would just have to make sure he ran into her again. He was going to solve the mystery of just who Quisty Trepe was. It wouldn't be too hard to find out which family she served. She was certainly more interesting than most of the people at court. Quis was feisty, she appeared to have impeccable manners, and she was currently a servant, plus he thought he might know her from someplace. Something in there didn't quite add up, and he wanted to figure it out. He fed Siren another apple before heading back to the palace. Time to find out just who the lastest arrivals were and see what he could do about. Maybe this whole Summer Court idea wouldn't be as boring as he expected.

* * *

><p>It was stupid to go without sleep. Quistis knew that, especially since she was being worked harder here than back at the Carrente estate. And it was a silly reason to go without sleep as well. However, she couldn't help this. She was tired, heartsick, and need a break in more ways than one. The reality of being here and still being trapped by the spell was hitting her. It hadn't really until she'd had to identify herself to Seifer Almasy as Quisty Trepe instead of Quistis Serian. It hadn't hit her until she'd gotten back the servant's quarters, and then it had been like someone had reached deep into her chest and squeezed hard. It had hurt more than she had expected. She was home, and yet she couldn't be herself here.<p>

But the sea was calling her, and she hadn't managed to get out to the beach now. Standing at the shoreline now was worth any inconvenience later on she had decided. Closing her eyes, Quistis took a deep breath. The waves lapped at her bare feet, and Quistis dug her toes into the soft, wet sand. The smell of the ocean was all around her. A light breeze made her shiver, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She had kilted her muslin shift up to her knees so as not to get it wet. There was only half a moon in the sky, but it was enough for her to see by. For a moment she just stood there.

Then she carefully unbraided her hair. Closing her eyes, she dredged up the memory of another moonlit night years ago. Her father sound asleep while she and her mother had snuck out to this very beach. Her mother, tall and pale in the silvery light, long hair spilling down her back. Their hands clasped together as they danced together in the surf. Her feet seemed to remember the steps of the dance from that night, and she was singing the lilting tune before she realized it. There was comfort in the song and dance, and Quistis gave herself up to it.

When the song ended, her feet stilled. Quistis stood a moment in the surf, gazing out across the moonlit water. She felt calmer, at peace for the moment. With a little sigh, she turned and made her way back up the beach towards the palace, never noticing the figure standing on one of the balconies, watching her.

* * *

><p>Seifer was still holding his breath. Logically, he knew that the woman on the beach probably wouldn't hear him, but he didn't want to risk it. She had been the last thing he'd expected to see when he came out for some air. Insomnia had struck the young knight, and he'd come out on his balcony to listen to the ocean. He had immediately claimed one of the rooms that overlooked the sea when they had arrived. So he'd wandered out her and immediately caught sight of her.<p>

The woman was painted silver and grey by the moonlight and shadows. Her hair had to be blond given the way that it practically glowed. She had been dancing in and out of the surf, and occasionally the wind brought her voice in his direction. She was too far away for him to really understand the words, but there was a familiar lift to the sound. He thought she might be singing in Centran, but he didn't know for sure. Her voice was a gentle soprano that somehow blended with the soft shush of the waves. It had taken him several moments to realize that song reminded him of some of things Matron would sing.

He hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her. Seifer had no idea what the woman was doing out on the beach in the middle of the night singing and dancing, but he was enthralled by her. The thing that should really bother him (but didn't for some strange reason) was the fact that he knew exactly who it was down there. He knew without a doubt that it was Quisty Trepe down there. Seifer couldn't pin point how he knew that. He couldn't really see the woman's features, and he had only met Quisty once before, but he just knew that it was her.

That still begged the question of what she was doing down there on the beach. For one thing, the woman he had met earlier had struck him as practical and efficient. Practical servants did not dance on the beach in the middle of the night for the most part. She should be sleeping, getting some rest to prepare her for her duties in the morning. But she wasn't. It was yet another layer to the woman's mystery. He watched her until she finally stopped dancing. Then she just stood there a moment, making for a striking image in the moonlight, before turning and heading back towards the palace. Seifer released his breath and sought his own bed. Tomorrow he would start finding out everything he could about her.


	10. Cat and Mouse

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

><p><strong>Cat and Mouse<strong>

Quistis was not getting used to the new routine, and that worried her somewhat. Of course, part of that could have to do with the fact that her mistresses hadn't really established a real routine here at Summer Court. Some things remained the same such as their taking dinner with the court most nights, but other than that, they were not very consistent about their activities. This was a problem for Quistis for several reasons. For one thing, it was hard to sneak some time for herself when she didn't know when her mistresses would be busy and when they wouldn't. She also relied on routines for stability, and right now, Quistis felt she really needed some.

She had not realized just how hard it would be to be home without the ability to really be herself here. She couldn't wander around the halls with impunity to see what had changed and what had remained the same. No one here seemed to recognize her either. She was just another faceless servant, and it hurt more than she had expected. She felt out of place in her own home, the place where many of her happiest memories were, and she couldn't do a thing about it.

At least she had been able to get some information about how things had changed at court. And she now knew who Seifer Almasy was. It was Sir Seifer Almasy actually, and he was a knight in Rinoa's personal court. He was not the one that everyone expected her to get engaged to though. He was from Centra and had arrived in Galbadia four years ago. He and one of his foster brothers had trained and become knights of the realm, and it seemed like he now was a permanent part of the Royal Court. He also appeared to be stalking her. Quistis couldn't think of any other reason she kept running into him.

And he did seem to pop up quite a bit. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. Especially since Seifer didn't appear to be interested in what most young noblemen wanted from servant girls. In fact, to be honest, he didn't treat her like a servant at all. Seifer treated her like an equal at all times, and Quistis found her guard slipping around him. Put him in her presence and the meek, submissive persona she'd worked so hard to craft disappeared. Seifer didn't seem to mind that at all. In fact, she would swear he enjoyed verbally sparing with her.

The man was both frustrating and quite likable. She was pretty sure he riled her up on purpose most of the time. He was the closest thing she'd had to a friend in years, and because of that he was dangerous to her. Quistis would lose him when they returned to the Carrente estate unless she found a way to free herself. If any member of the Carrente family caught her with him, she would be in trouble. And that was just if she was seen with him, if they actually overheard a conversation between the two, she would be in serious trouble. There was also the fact that Seifer was an extremely eligible bachelor at the moment. He was the only member of Rinoa's personal court who wasn't already attached. Oriana would be absolutely delighted if one of her girls could get her claws into him. Quistis didn't think that she could bear being party to that, but if she was ordered to help with the effort, she would have to.

With a soft sigh, she turned her attention back to the task at hand. Mending was not her greatest skill, and while one of the other servants could have done it, Quistis had been ordered to, so she was stuck. At least she had been able to take the task out to the beach. Perched on a piece of driftwood was a much better place to be than stuck in her mistresses' rooms. Not mention she was less likely to be disturbed here. And even if she hated mending, a chance to be by the sea was not to be missed.

She didn't quite start when someone settled on the driftwood log beside her. Quistis glanced over to find Seifer. She wasn't quite surprised.

"Hey, Quis."

She offered him a brief smile, her fingers still in motion as she worked to make a rip in Aurelia gown disappear.

"So why is it that more often than not I find you out here?"

Quistis shrugged. "I grew up by the sea. I was born here."

"You're from Caledonia?" He asked, something sharpening in his gaze.

Quistis nodded. That was safe enough to tell him, and the spell provided no interference. Besides Caledonia Castle, there was a village with the same name and it was the name of her father's duchy.

"Huh. I would have guessed you were Centran."

"My mother was a foreigner." Quistis felt her throat begin to constrict and said no more.

Seifer changed the subject. "I've always thought it was a shame that the navy doesn't have much use for knights. It would be interesting at least. Matron's estate in Centra is right by the sea. I think that's one of the reasons that I like it so much here. I'm not sure why the Royal Court comes here so rarely."

"It was Prince Derek's home," her voice was quiet. Again that was common knowledge and safe enough to say.

Seifer frowned. "That's the king's brother who died, right? The one whose daughter was kidnapped and killed several years back."

Her hands shook. Quistis blinked back tears. That was why Oriana had said she was dead. Everyone truly believed that Princess Quistis Cariad Serian was dead. She bit her lip.

"Quis?" Seifer was peering at her, a frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

She fought to find an answer that she could actually say. She couldn't very well say that she just realized that everyone who ever loved her thought she was dead. The spell wouldn't allow it. But Seifer was too perceptive for her to just say that she had pricked herself with the needle she was using. He had called her on things like that before.

"It always reminds me of my past."

"Ah." And he let the subject drop. "So, do you have any siblings?"

Quistis shook her head. Seifer smirked.

"You missed out then." And he launched into a story about his foster brothers' misadventures.

* * *

><p>Seifer kept his questions and stories lighthearted as Quisty continued with her mending. Something that he'd said had bothered her. But trying to get personal information from her was like pulling teeth. He would buy that something he said reminded her of her past. He didn't what was in her past, but whatever it was something bad had happened to her. At least now he knew that she was born in this area of Galbadia, and that her mother had been a foreigner. He was pretty sure that her mother had been Centran, even if Quisty hadn't explicitly said that. She was always vague on details.<p>

Part of that might stem from just who her employers were. Everything that Seifer heard about the Carrente family was bad, and he imagined that serving them could be a living nightmare at times. Certainly Quisty's mistresses were not prizes. The older one had already made an attempt to ensnare him which Seifer had easily avoided. He had no idea why Quisty had agreed to work for them in the first place, but then that probably had something to do with that past of hers that he was trying to uncover.

He hadn't had much luck so far, but he was getting better at prying clues out of her. Quisty's mother might prove to be a very valuable avenue of investigation. People tended to remember foreigners, and if she lived in this area, someone should know something about the woman. Seifer was fairly certain that the Carrentes must have something on Quistis or she wouldn't be working for them at all. Seifer was going to figure out what that was and figure out how to deal with it. Quis certainly deserved better. Even if she was satisfied being a servant, she certainly wasn't satisfied or happy with her current situation.

It had not taken long for Seifer to realize that Quis was special, but he hadn't really been prepared for just how quickly she would become special to him. There was an intensity to his protective feelings for her that caught Seifer off guard. Then again, she was everything that he looked for in a woman: intelligent, beautiful, funny, strong. Add to that the fact that she most certainly wasn't a typical servant and she appeared to be in some distress, it was a combination that Seifer found irresistible. Quis was the type of woman who could deal with most problems on her own. The fact that she needed help with this said volumes.

When Quis finished her mending, she sighed a little and rose to her feet. Her smile was wistful as she stared out at the sea.

"I should get back."

Seifer didn't try to talk her into staying longer. He'd given up on that after the first few attempts. It didn't work. So instead he offered her a grin.

"I'll see you around."

She headed back to the palace leaving Seifer alone with his thoughts. He tried to fit his newest pieces of information into the puzzle he was slowly putting together. Quisty hadn't been born a servant. Given her actions and manners, she had been raised as a noble of some sort. She was intelligent and well educated as far as he could tell. Her mother had been a foreigner. It wasn't much to go on so far, but it was more than he'd had at the start. Maybe it was time to start mentioning some of this to someone else.

So far he had kept Quisty to himself. He hadn't mentioned her or his suspicions about her to any one else, not even Matron. Seifer had liked keeping her existence to himself. Besides, he hadn't wanted to expose Quis to the scrutiny that telling even Matron would put her under. His little family was quite tight knit, even if they weren't related by blood, and adding Rinoa and Selphie to that mix had just added to that. And he was pretty sure that any interaction with the Royal Court might scare her off. She was skittish enough with him. Maybe he didn't have to actually mention Quisty. He could start asking about the nobility from the area and see where that got him.

He ran a hand through his hair. He should get back himself. The last of the Royal Court had arrived yesterday, and that meant that the Summer Court would really be getting started. Which in turn meant that he had more duties. None of Rinoa's personal court were in the dark about part of what was going on here. With Rinoa coming of age, it was more important than ever that she know the Royal Court's dynamics and dangers. Rinoa might come off as naïve and idealistic to many, but she had a shrewd understanding of how politics worked. It was also a preemptive strike in some ways.

Once Rinoa was of age, she and Squall would announce their betrothal. There would be vocal objections by some and attempts to sabotage the relationship by others. It wasn't going to work either way, but everyone who cared about Rinoa wanted to have an idea where trouble might come from before hand. And this was also a testing of Rinoa and her court as well. While it would most likely be years before Rinoa actually took the throne herself, nobles were beginning to test her mettle, and how things went with the Summer Court this year would be one way of judging her.

They had a careful political dance to manage here, and Seifer had to admit that there was a possibility that Quisty was simply a ploy on the part of one of the noble families. Seifer had considered that. But it didn't quite fit. She wasn't acting when she was with him. She was, however, putting on quite an act for the other servants and nobles. Seifer had observed her several times when she was interacting with others. What most people saw was a meek and efficient servant girl with no trace of her wit or intelligence showing. Certainly they never got sarcastic comments from her. Quisty hid that part of herself very well in public. Seifer was quite frankly more surprised that he got to see when they were alone.

Quis had the tendency to hide her whole self from others, not just her identity or her past. It was one of the reasons he rarely called her Quisty. Quisty was the meek servant of the Carrentes. Quis was the sharp young noblewoman who challenged him in more ways than one. Seifer still didn't know why they appeared to be the same person at the moment, but at least he was getting closer to finding out.

* * *

><p>Her afternoon was spent pulling out dresses for inspection and ironing them. Aurelia and Calista had swept into their rooms after lunch full of chatter and conversation about upcoming events. Said upcoming events were the reason that Quistis had spent several hours ironing dresses. Of course, if either woman decided they wanted to wear different outfits, she was going to have to do most of this all over again.<p>

Tomorrow morning would be the first official session of the Summer Court, and that evening there would be a ball. So Quistis got to listen to hours of debate over which dress was best suited for what. It was only the beginning of the Summer Court after all. While it was rather mind numbing to listen to, Quistis couldn't help but be concerned how both girls approached the court season as a battle. One where they had very specific targets and outcomes in mind. It was clear that both Calista and Aurelia had staked out their preferences for who on the marriage market they were going after.

"What did Grandmother Oriana say about your prospects?" Calista asked

Aurelia laughed. "She approved of all three. Of course, she wants me to focus on Sir Almasy, but she had no objections to either Count Jackson or Lord Antilles. You?"

Calista sighed. "She wants me to focus on either young Lord Adama or Sir Marquise. She vetoed Lord Tucker."

"You know he's a rake. And a second son."

"True enough. And Adama is more than worth it if I can get the man. Marquise isn't bad, but he is a foreign knight."

"Hmm. So is Almasy."

"Yes, but he's practically a member of the Royal family. We all know that once the princess comes of age, her personal court is all going to get titles and lands."

Aurelia unpinned her long caramel tresses and shook them out. "True enough. Anyway, what do you think? The blue or the green for the start of Summer Court?"

Calista smiled. "The green dress for Court and jade one for the ball. That way you'll match Almasy's eyes. And his colors. He almost always wears green or scarlet. Green at court and scarlet in tournaments."

"What about you?"

Calista's mahogany curls bounced as she shook her head. "What about me? I'm wearing the sapphire gown for the ball and pale blue for Court. Lord Adama's eyes are blue after all."

Quistis continued to listen as they went on and on about the right clothing and what approaches to use with the various men with a growing sense of horror. She didn't recognize all of the names that they had mentioned, but she knew more than just Seifer's. Lord Adama would be the Commander General of the military's oldest son. They had visited Commander General Adama's estate once when she was younger. He and her uncle had fought together for years and were good friends. Lord Adama was about five years older than Quistis, and she remembered him being kind. Lord Antilles was about the same age. He had been orphaned during pirate raids one summer, but he'd been taken in by a neighboring noble. Tucker was two year older than Quistis and pulled her hair and made fun of her. The other two men were unknown to her, but Quistis still felt sorry for them.

No one deserved to be hunted like quarry. Only the result of a successful hunt this time around would result in the poor unfortunate being stuck with Calista and Aurelia for the rest of their lives. She bit her lip. It was Seifer that she was really worried about though. He was a friend, and she wanted better for him. She had the fierce urge to protect him, and she had no idea where that came from. But at the very least, she might be able to warn him about the fate that Aurelia was planning for him.


	11. Give and Take

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

><p><strong>Give and Take<strong>

Seifer was largely bored by court sessions. He had little use for the political wrangling that went on there or the complicated schemes and intrigues. Give him a battle any day. However, that didn't mean that Seifer was ignorant of how things worked or when to pay attention. Besides, every once in a while the things provided some quality entertainment. Some of the courtiers had a way with insults that was really a sight to behold. Still, it wasn't his idea of a good time.

But there were multiple reasons for him to attend, especially since this was the first session of the Summer Court. Security and support were a few of them. Yes, there were Royal Guards stationed throughout the room, and Squall would be Rinoa's shadow most of the time, but Seifer still felt better being here. He had some training that the guardsmen didn't, and it honestly wouldn't surprise him if some here tried to do some literal backstabbing. Plus, it gave Rinoa a stronger position to have all of her personal court present.

Still, Seifer would have preferred to avoid it all together. Thankfully, he had found a temporary refuge with a number of military men and knights who were also stuck here. There were actually a great deal of young men here who would much rather be other places. The matchmakers of the kingdom had decided that the Summer Court was the perfect occasion to get as many unpartnered young people paired off as possible. There was going to be a whole season of weddings coming up if they had their way.

It was probably worst for the people Seifer's age. They were old enough to have proved themselves, but most of them didn't have the authority to tell the matchmakers to piss off. Seifer was secure in the knowledge that Matron would never force him to marry anyone and that Rinoa would never expected him to. Not all of his compatriots were that lucky. Of course, some of them had their own back up plans for the whole situation. Or at least mutual protection pacts with members of the opposite sex.

And however bad it was for the men present, it was probably worse for the women. Seifer was quite happy that he didn't have to worry about any of that nonsense when it came to Rinoa. She wasn't about to marry or even consider marrying anyone who wasn't Squall. But there were plenty of women at court that didn't have that sort of situation. Then again, there were some women who were clearly interested in making the most of the whole mess, though some of them were more subtle than others.

The Carrente girls were clearly some of the more subtle ones. Seifer had counted seven girls of marriageable age (including both Quisty's mistresses) here, and all seven of them were clearly engaged in stalking their own quarry. Some of them with more success than others so far, but it was still early in the game. He was pretty sure that at least two of them had their eyes on him. Seifer was toying with the idea of playing along with Lady Aurelia. He had no intention of getting involved with her, but she was Quisty's mistress, and he might be able to find something out about Quisty that way. Seifer just wasn't sure he wanted to put up with the headaches that might come with that ruse.

And Summer Court had just started. Seifer had the feeling it was going to get much worse before it ended. The sooner that the younger set paired off the better. Of course, some of the courtships would be genuine or would develop into genuine relationships, but Seifer would be just as happy to avoid the hothouse situation for developing a relationship with a young woman. In that way at least his relationship with Quisty was easier. Since no one except the two of them really knew that there was a relationship there, the only expectations on that relationship was their own.

Of course, his relationship with Quisty had its own problems. For one thing, he was a noble and she was a servant, or at least she was acting as one. There were typically assumptions about relationships between nobles, and this time none of them were true. Also, there was the matter of just who Quisty was. He was putting the puzzle of her together, but it was far from complete. He didn't know what sort of trouble she was in or what might be the consequences of knowing her real identity or even why she was concealing her identity. And of course there was the fact that Quisty might not even realize that his feeling went beyond friendship when it came to her. But what Seifer knew was that Quisty was the most fascinating woman he had ever come across, and that all her complexities just made him want to get to know her better.

He had some battle plans already regarding that. For one thing, all the visiting servants got a mandatory holiday at the end of this week. It was Rinoa's way of giving them a treat since she knew that they would probably not be getting things like a regularly scheduled day off during Summer Court. So that was at least one time he could see Quisty without worrying about getting her in trouble for neglecting her duties. Seifer knew that the moment Aurelia or Calista Carrente realized that he had an interest in their maid Quis would be in trouble. He wanted to avoid that if at all possible. He also planned to do some poking around the area and chatting up some of the older nobles here at court. Quis was connected to the province Caledonia by virtue of being born here, and it wouldn't hurt for him to know a little more about the area.

However, before he could deal with what came next with Quis, he had to survive the rest of the morning.

* * *

><p>Quistis was not exactly thrilled about the ball in the evening, and that was probably why she snapped at Seifer when he appeared while she was in the midst of catching her first moment of rest all day and her hurried lunch. It also didn't help that he had popped up out of no where startling her. She had spent her morning helping Aurelia and Calista get ready for court before being left with a number of orders pertaining to preparing the two women's gowns and accessories for the ball. When Calista and Aurelia had swept back to their rooms after the Summer Court's first session, Quistis had needed to help them undress. Thankfully, once they had changed into simpler gowns for the afternoon, Quistis had been able to slip away to get herself some lunch.<p>

She really hadn't been expecting to see Seifer at all today. Given his position as one of Rinoa's personal retainers, she would have expected him to have a full schedule. And given that she had nearly tumbled off the stone railing she was perched on, she had every reason to snap at him. Strong hands wrapped around her waist steadying her.

"A wee bit jumpy are we?" Seifer smirked at her.

"Well, when you sneak up on people, what do you expect?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You're worse than me after spending the morning hiding from matchmakers and prospective brides."

Quistis just shrugged, but part of her was rather pleased that he didn't sound thrilled about being pursued. Seifer met her eyes.

"You okay?"

Quistis shrugged again. She wasn't okay, but that was pretty much normal for her right now. There was nothing he could really do about it either, so telling him (assuming she could even tell him some of what was bothering her) wouldn't do any good. Seifer frowned at her before settling beside her on the railing.

"So I don't suppose you're in on the betting pools with the rest of the servants?"

Quistis tilted her head to the side, startled by the change of subject. "What?"

Seifer grinned at her. "Come on. I know all about the betting pools the servants run. At least, the palace servants at any rate. Someone is going to make money off of this whole matchmaking scheme. Of course, since you don't really associate with most of the other servants, we really can't team up in order to make a killing."

She couldn't help it. The corners of her mouth tipped up in a smile. He was right. And she knew very well that someone was going to make some money. Even the Carrente's servants made wagers like that, though they were extremely discreet about it. And it had been perfectly common at home. She, Selphie, and Rinoa had even been in on some of the bets, though those had typically been ones made by the Royal Guards.

The two of them sat in silence for several moments, just watching the ocean. To be honest, Quistis didn't mind the company. Seifer set her at ease for the most part. She really had no idea why he seemed to seek out her company, but he was the one person she could count on right not to ask anything of her and just let her be herself. It was safe for Quistis to be herself with him, and that was a gift she hadn't had in quite a while. She didn't realize that she was humming to herself until she realized that Seifer was staring at her.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Matron used to sing that song as a lullaby. I don't think I've heard it in years."

"Oh." Quistis bit her lip. "It was my mother's favorite lullaby to sing to me."

Something flashed in his eyes, but Quistis couldn't decipher it. Footsteps on the terrace made Quistis swiftly look around, but it was only a pair of servants come outside to eat their lunches. Still, Quistis drew in on herself, hoping that Seifer's body blocked her from their view. He frowned slightly but didn't say anything. Quistis bit her lip again. Her relationship with Seifer was one of the few things she could call her own right now. Because no one else really knew about it, she was free to act completely as she wished. Seifer clearly didn't care about any distinctions between their stations in life and treated her as an equal. He made her feel like a real person instead of the shadow of herself that she often felt like.

His hand reached out and twined their fingers together. "Do you already have plans for the rest day?"

She blinked at him. What in the world was he talking about?

Seifer's frown deepened. "You don't know? All of the visiting servants have a full day off of their duties at the end of this week. It should be three days from now. Rinoa's orders. So I take it that you don't have any plans."

Quistis shook her head. "No."

"Good. I need to get away from the court for a while, and I thought you might want to join me."

She hesitated. Getting away from the palace and the Carrentes for a day sounded wonderful. However, she was also well aware of what could happen if the Carrentes found out just how she spent her day off. And she trusted Seifer enough to believe that he was simply offering her a day away from the stress of her life rather than anything else.

"All right."

Seifer grinned at her. "Good. I promise you'll have a great time. If you slip away that morning and meet me at the stables, we can sneak away before anyone notices."

"What exactly do you have planned?"

He tapped her nose with a finger. "That's a surprise."

Seifer sighed. "And unfortunately, I had better get back inside. Rinoa called a meeting of her personal court after lunch. I'll see you around, Quis."

She watched him go, slightly unsure about what she might have gotten herself into, but Quistis was looking forward to a whole day without having to wear any of her masks. She just had to manage until then.

* * *

><p>Quisty's mother was definitely Centran. Seifer knew that for sure now. He even could pin down where in Centra she'd been from thanks to that song. It wasn't well known outside of the area where Matron had grown up. It was another piece of Quisty's puzzle. And she had agreed to spend her day off with him. Seifer considered that a success. It would probably do them both good to get away from the court for a while. And since she was more at ease away from anything that related to the court, he figured he would have a better chance at finding out just what was going on with her.<p>

It was one of his few successes of the day. His attempts to get any information on Caledonia in general from Rinoa and Selphie didn't go well. Neither of them wanted to talk about this place because of the death of Princess Quistis. This had been her original home, and it was clear that both Rinoa and Selphie were ready to talk about her loss. Seifer had known that the dead princess had been a part of Rinoa's unofficial court, but he hadn't really realized that the three girls had been close. The dead princess was something that just wasn't talked about much.

About all Seifer had been able to learn was this has been the home of Prince Derek and his family, and they were all tragically dead now. It wasn't exactly helpful knowledge. Though Quisty had said that hearing about Prince Derek reminded her of her past, so maybe there were some parallels. And it explained her name as well. Quisty had probably been born sometime after the princess, and since she was from Caledonia, it made sense that her parents might name her after their liege lord's new daughter. Though Quistis has nicer ring to it than Quisty in his mind.

And the ball itself that evening was pure torture. Unlike an official court session, there was no real structure to a ball. It was clear that the courtship game was in full force, and Seifer spent a good deal of time avoiding some of the ladies and their relatives. There were also only so many hiding places though, and he wasn't the only one trying avoidance tactics. Of course there was some amusement as well. While he had sympathy for his compatriots trying to avoid romantic entanglements, watching them try and avoid those entanglements could be highly entertaining as well as educational.

Seifer danced with a handful of women, namely ones he knew were already involved in a relationship or people like Matron and some of the other older ladies of the court. And that was where he suddenly found access to a wealth of information. It had started with an off hand comment he'd made about the palace here. As it turned out Lady Helen knew quite a bit about the history of this particular place, and once Seifer had escorted her back to the group of matrons she had been chatting with before their dance, he stumbled upon a treasure trove. Lady Helen and her friends were perfectly happy to tell him all about Prince Derek and his family.

"He was such a nice young man. Nothing like his mother's family, but then he spent most of his time with his brother and the old king. We were a bit worried that he'd be one of those wandering knights all his life and get himself killed before there was a proper line of succession established, but then he rescued that pretty young sorceress and settled down."

"Prince Derek was married to a sorceress?" Seifer asked.

"Oh, yes. Though he didn't know she was a sorceress when he first met her." Lady Judith smiled at him. "She was beautiful young woman. Foreigner with long blond hair like many of you Centrans. The prince rescued her from pirates, you know. We never really learned where she was from, but it was clear that she was nobility of some sort. No one ever pressed her too much on her past. It was clear that those pirates had held her captive for quite a while, and no one wanted to bring up bad memories. Especially given how protective the prince was of her."

"That was probably why he decided to make this his main residence. With the port only a few miles away, there are plenty of foreigners in the area." Lady Helen nodded. "You may have noticed that most of the Galbadian nobility is dark haired. Idalia's white blond hair and violet eyes made her stand a part from a crowd in the capitol, and there were plenty of people at court who weren't exactly thrilled with the prince's choice of bride. The general public loved her though, and most of the court eventually came around, though she was never very found of official court functions. Besides, she loved the ocean."

Seifer carefully filed that information away. But what had really caught his attention was the fact that there were plenty of foreigners in the area. That might make it harder to track down Quisty's history. Still, it was the best option he had. Either Quisty wouldn't or couldn't tell him about her past. Seifer hadn't been able to figure out why that was, but he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"We didn't seem much of them at court once their daughter was born. The King and his family would come here in the summers often, but we rarely saw the little princess until her uncle brought her to live at the palace after her parents' death." Lady Helen continued on. "She took after her mother surprisingly, though she was such a quiet child. The crown princess adored her. Loosing her was such a blow to everyone. And it opens up the line of succession again until Princess Rinoa has a child. At this point, just about all of the other candidates are the King's cousins and all about equally related to King Caraway. It will be a mess if, Hyne forbid, if we lose both the King and the Crown Princess before the next heir is born."

Seifer knew that much actually. It was one of the reasons that Rinoa wasn't willing to have a formal drawn out courtship with Squall. Not that she was planning having children immediately, but it would sooth a number of the nobles as well as the general populace to have Rinoa married. The ladies' conversation turned to other matters, and Seifer eventually slipped away. It was late enough in the evening that no one would comment when he left the ball. He had some planning to do. He only had one day when Quisty was completely free, and he was planning on making the most of it.


	12. The Long Way Home

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

><p><strong>The Long Way Home<strong>

Quistis was used to waking early these days. But there was something thrilling about waking up and knowing that she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to today. Provided, of course, that she could slip away before anyone noticed. She dressed hurriedly, pulling on the clothes that Seifer had slipped her the other day. Given that she didn't have any except her servant's livery to wear and a sundress that probably wasn't practical for their outing, Quistis had accepted the gift. And while the blue skirt, linen blouse, and dark blue bodice might be simple, they were the first new clothes that weren't a uniform that she'd had in years. She slipped out of the room without any trouble and headed for the stables.

Seifer was waiting for her. He was dressed simply, more like a merchant than a noble. He grinned when he saw her and tossed her an apple.

"Breakfast," he explained. "Let's get out of here."

He didn't bother to ask if she could ride, just boosted her up onto the horse. Seifer swung himself into the saddle behind her. Quistis didn't recognize the trail he directed the horse towards, though it was headed in the direction of the ocean. Quistis nibbled on her apple as she took in the scenery.

"So, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"You know, I'm really not that fond of surprises."

"Tough."

Quistis just sighed. However, as they meandered their way down towards the shoreline, she couldn't help but enjoy herself. Seifer appeared to know where he was going, and she had to admit that she was curious about what he had planned. Their horseback ride ended at a little cove that felt vaguely familiar to Quistis, though she couldn't remember if she'd been here before or not. It didn't matter though. It was a beautiful location. The beach was rocky rather than sandy like much of the area around Castle Caledonia, and the water was a blue-green shade that Quistis knew indicated it was far deeper than it looked. It was clear that somebody knew about this place though. There was a small dock and a boathouse. There was also a small sailboat moored beside the dock.

Seifer swung down from the saddle with a grin. "I'm guessing that you know how to sail. The basics at least."

She nodded. Quistis had spent many happy hours on a boat with her father. Of course, she hadn't actually sailed in years, but she had the feeling that Seifer knew what he was going. And there was the fact that the sailboat waiting for them could easily be sailed by just one person.

He tethered the horse to a nearby tree and started unfastening the saddlebags. "Come on. Someone's coming to fetch the horse in an hour or so, and I want to be gone by then."

It didn't take them long to board the sailboat and cast off from the dock. Quistis found she didn't entirely know what she was doing, but Seifer apparently had instructed novices before. Twenty minutes later, they were well underway, and Quistis found herself relaxing. She had missed this more than she had expected. She really hadn't been sailing since her father died.

"There's nothing like it, is there?" Seifer's voice was quiet. "As much as I enjoy living here, it's just not the same being in the capitol away from the sea most of the time. Matron's estate in Centra is right by the beach. You could hear the ocean from our rooms. I think I miss that the most."

"I'd forgotten what it was like until I came back here." Then she changed the subject. "What is Centra like?"

"It's different from here. Or maybe it's our roles that are different." Seifer frowned. "Matron wasn't that involved with the court or politics. I mean, she had rank because she's a sorceress and she is a noble, but we weren't exactly important. That's probably not what you meant though."

Quistis just shrugged. She'd never had the chance to travel or experience anything other than life at the Galbadian Court and as a servant. And she was curious.

"Are there many sorceresses in Centra then?"

"Not as many as there used to be. There's a handful these days, and apparently the most powerful bloodlines have died out. Matron's actually one of the strongest ones left. Our sorceresses are rather different. At least, they're treated different. Then again, I don't think there's been a Galbadian sorceress until Rinoa came along." He caught her eyes. "But you knew that. You're from a sorceress bloodline. On you mother's side."

Quistis froze. She didn't know how to respond. She didn't think she could confirm that. Her mother had been the only sorceress in Galbadia before Rinoa had become one. It was true though, and she didn't want to deceive Seifer about herself. She had to do enough of that already. Seifer reached out touch her hand.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Quisty. I'm just telling you that I know. It's not that obvious really. It's just that there's enough similiarities between how you were raised and how I was raised to make it obvious, especially since your mother was Centran like Matron." He smiled. "I know a lot of Galbadians just seem to remember the dark side of sorceresses, especially given recent events. I know better, but if you want to keep it secret, that's fine with me."

She let out the breath she was holding. "Thank you."

He grinned. "Not a problem."

The topic of conversation changed, but Quistis' mind keep coming back to the fact that Seifer knew. And if he talked to the right people, he'd figure it out. She wanted him to figure it out. Quistis blinked at that realization. She wanted him to know who she really was. Except even if he did figure it out, she couldn't confirm it. It also probably didn't help that she wasn't certain if he could do anything about her situation. But still, she wanted someone to know who she was, to call her by her real name. Shaking her head, Quistis pushed those thoughts away. She was not going to waste her day off with brooding.

* * *

><p>Seifer knew this had been a good idea by the way Quisty's eyes seemed to light up. He had almost been afraid he'd made a misstep about confronting her about her heritage, but once he'd changed the subject, she seemed to relax again. He wasn't sure why she was so afraid of someone knowing that she was from a sorceress bloodline. Yes, the Galbadians seemed to be a little paranoid and superstitious about that, but the information wouldn't put her in danger or anything. And she didn't seem to be a sorceress herself. At least, she didn't show any signs of it, and Seifer couldn't image why she would be a servant to the Carrentes if she was a trained sorceress.<p>

He navigated the sailboat down the coast, heading towards Inshes. Quis seemed perfectly happy to enjoy the wind and the waves. Their conversation ranged from childhood remembrances to the current political situation. Quisty might not know much about current politics, but she clearly knew something about politics and could be quite on the spot about her analysis. Somehow, Seifer ended up telling her the tale of the whole Ultimecia ordeal.

"We were lucky in a lot of ways. I almost ended up as Ultimecia's knight. Apparently, I'm more susceptible to mind control since I could be a sorceress' knight. But I wasn't quite compatible with Ultimecia, and that was the only thing that saved me from that fate. Things could have ended very badly if that had happened. And the nobles weren't that happy at first afterwards about Matron training Rinoa as a sorceress either. But once power like that breaks out, a sorceress needs to be trained or she can lose her mind, especially if she doesn't have a knight. Actually, that's probably in part what happened with Ultimecia."

Seifer grinned at her. Quisty seemed completely fascinated by the story, and between her expression and windblown hair, he didn't thing she had ever looked so fetching.

"Of course, they also didn't like Matron's teaching philosophy about magic either."

Quis frowned. "What do you mean?"

Seifer shrugged slightly. "Well, there are really two schools of thought when it comes to sorceresses and magical training, the Centran one and the rest of the world. Most of the world treats it like any other sort of magical discipline. The Centrans treat as something almost cultural. Yes, actual sorceresses learn spells, but there's a lot of other stuff that everyone is taught as well. It's almost closer to a religion at times. Then again Centra's mythology is full of sorceresses, and they often double as priestesses in those stories. Also, historically all of the most powerful sorceresses have been from Centra. Make of that what you will."

"All of them?"

He nodded. "All of them. Matron's actually not a great example of a Centran sorceress to tell the truth. She's the first one in her family to display any power. The family that trained her on the other hand, they apparently were quite the powerhouse."

Quisty's eyes narrowed. "Were?"

He sighed.

"You heard about the war between Esther and Centra, right? The one Adel started. It was before we were born, but almost everyone's heard about it." At her nod he continued. "A lot of the old sorceress bloodlines were wiped out. Matron's adopted family, the Llewellyn clan, was in the thick of it. By the end of the war, the only one besides Matron that was left was her foster sister who was the heir. And she disappeared almost two years later during a pirate raid. She was supposedly the most powerful sorceress anyone had seen in her generation."

His companion seemed completely fascinated by the subject. Which was odd since she was from a sorceress bloodline. She should know at least some of this information. Seifer had never met a Centran sorceress who didn't at least know of the Llewellyns. And she should definitely know something about the way Centrans trained sorceresses. Unless she had never learned of any of this. If she had lost her mother before she was old enough to learn much more than the basics. He didn't know that she wasn't a sorceress herself. Just that she had never showed any sign of it. That presented a stunning amount of possibilities, and he didn't think that Quisty was about to just tell him the right answer.

So he changed the subject to give him time to try and come up with some sort of strategy. "Hungry yet?"

She shrugged. "I could eat."

He'd packed them a picnic luncheon. It was simple fare, but there was plenty for them both, and Seifer had managed to snare some of the cinnamon rolls that had just come out of the oven that morning. He watched her as she ate. For once, Quis was completely unselfconscious. She had dropped all masks and mannerisms she used to disguise herself. She wasn't Quisty Trepe, the servant. Seifer didn't know who she was. This lady who sat across from him as intelligent, beautiful, and wounded by something. She had a poise and grace that reminded him of Matron more than anything. He might not know who she was, but he knew her. Seifer might not know every little detail, but he knew the way she reacted to most things. He knew the way her eyes lit up when she was happy. He knew the sound of her laughter, and the sharpness of her tongue. He knew enough to know that he was in love with her.

Her necklace caught his eye for the first time, and something about the simple braided cord and sea green pendant tugged at his memory. He knew her from some where. Seifer was almost sure of that. He just couldn't remember where. Quis looked up and caught his gaze. They were alone in a boat together at sea. She couldn't escape unless she dove over the side, and he rather doubted that she would do that. So the question slipped out.

"Who are you really, Cariad?"

He hadn't planned on adding the Centran endearment to the question, but that too had slipped out. Quisty froze, and her eyes went wide. He held his breath and hoped that he hadn't completely ruined things between them.

* * *

><p>Quistis froze at his question. She didn't know how much of that was her own reaction and how much was the gaes spell stirring to life. How he had known her name? It was her middle name, but still, it was her name.<p>

"What did you call me that?" She forced the question out.

"Cariad? It's a term of endearment, a pet name. You should know that." Seifer frowned and paused. "You don't speak Centran do you? You can know songs in Centran but don't actually know the language."

That irritated her. "I speak Centran, though just the basics. I hadn't gotten that far in my studies when…"

She stopped talking. She had to. As soon as her throat relaxed, she took a deep breath. Seifer's gaze was intense.

"You can trust me. I know you're not Quisty Trepe." His hands wrapped around hers. "It doesn't matter who you are. I just want to know."

She bit her lip. "I can't tell you."

"Cariad." His voice was soft and coaxing.

Quistis closed her eyes and fought down her blush. "No, Seifer. I would if I could. I literally can't tell you. My throat closes up, and I can't breath. It would kill me to try."

Soft pressure on her hands made her open her eyes again. Seifer caught her gaze, searching for something. She let her hands rest in his and held her breath.

"You respond to Cariad. You reacted to being called that." He was frowning slightly. "Like it's your name. Or part of your name."

She couldn't say anything. Quistis didn't even try. She knew what the result would be. But it was clear to her that Seifer was putting together at least some of the pieces. Her hands were trembling though. It was so good to be called by her own name. It was only her middle name, but it was still her, not the mask. She knew that Seifer had only meant it as an endearment, but that didn't matter. One of Seifer's hands came up to brush her cheek. Quistis started; she hadn't realized that she'd been crying.

"It's all right, Cariad." His thumb stroked across her cheekbone. "I'll figure it out myself. Come here."

It was a little difficult to maneuver in the boat, but moments later Quistis found herself held tightly in Seifer's arms. His hug seemed to break open the floodgates, and Quistis couldn't help the tears any longer. She hadn't cried like this since she had been first bound by the damn geas spell. She hated all of this. She just wanted to be herself again. Seifer just held her, and Quistis had to admit that she felt safe, despite the fact that Seifer's pledge of figuring this out terrified her.

He was serious about that. Quistis knew it. Seifer might not have said it out right, but he was approaching the matter of her identity and what had been done to her as a quest. And she was terrified of what he might find out. Part of her wanted badly for him to discover the truth of the whole situation. She wanted someone to know who she was and what had happened to her. But what if he discovered all that and there was still nothing to be done? Quistis had no idea if the geas could be broken. And if Countess Orianna found out that someone knew about who Quistis was, Quistis knew that Seifer's life would be in danger. Orianna could not risk someone telling King Caraway about her. And Quistis' life might be in danger as well. She would definitely be punished.

If the geas could be broken, then what would happen to Quistis? She didn't know if she could go home again. She didn't know if her story would be believed. It wouldn't exactly be easy to definitively prove that she was who she claimed to be. She had been considered dead for a number of years. She had missed so much. And what if Seifer lost interested in her once she was rescued? He was very much the knight errant, and once she was rescued, she was afraid that he would wander off on another quest. Seifer could be arrogant and annoying at times, but he could also be remarkably kind, and he was the first friend she'd had in years.

Eventually the tears stopped, and Quistis pulled away from Seifer, blushing badly and unwilling to meet his eyes. She could not believe she had lost control like that. She wasn't one of those weepy females that tended to fill tales and ballads. Seifer smiled and tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear.

"You really haven't had an easy time of it, have you?" He kissed her nose. "It will be okay, Quis."

She didn't know if that was true or not, but she managed a smile anyway. A gust of wind rocked the sailboat a little forcing Seifer to reach for the rudder. Quistis used the opportunity to slip back to her previous spot. She was flustered and wanted a few moments to collect herself. Friendly teasing and banter was easy to deal with. She took a deep breath. She had an entire day off. A day free from the Carrente's control for the most part, and she was going to enjoy that freedom as much as she could.

Seifer caught her eyes and grinned at her. "Feel up for something a little more challenging?"

Quistis arched an eyebrow at him. "Oh?"

"It looks like the wind is picking up. Want to see how fast we can get down the coast?"

She laughed. The strong wind only lasted for about half an hour, but by the time it was gone, they were both laughing, and the seriousness from earlier had been laid aside at least. The pair continued their trip down the coast at a more leisurely pace, and Quistis found herself just leaning back enjoying the setting and the scenery. And between the waves and the warm sun, Quistis found her eyes drifting closed.

* * *

><p>Seifer watched Quis sleep. He had a feeling she needed the nap. He hadn't expected the emotional outburst earlier, and he rather thought that she had needed it. He sighed. This was supposed to be simply an enjoyable day. He'd been planning on seeing if he could get her to tell him about herself, but he hadn't expected to turn into any serious conversation about her. Taking a deep breath, Seifer tamped down the anger welling inside him. He believed her when she said that telling him who she really was could kill her. Seifer knew of spells that could do that to a person. They were considered anathema by most magic users, but that didn't mean they were unheard of.<p>

It made everything more complicated. For one thing, it was now very possible that his lady was not just from a sorceress bloodline, but she was sorceress herself. Whoever had bound her had done it when she was young, too young to really have any training. The woman he knew would have never let this been done to her, so it would have to have been when she couldn't defend herself. When she was a child or an early teen made sense. And a binding like this would also bind her abilities to a certain extent, especially if she didn't know how to use them.

So he had a probably untrained sorceress on his hands whose powers would probably flare up as soon as her geas was broken. She was a Centran sorceress as well which meant that she was probably at least as powerful as Rinoa or Matron if not more so. Plus, she was clearly nobility of some sort. Seifer would guess Galbadian nobility, mostly because it was clear she was raised here. And she was from Caledonia. Cariad was at least part of her name. And somehow the Carrente family had managed to bind her. He wasn't about to let that stand, but he would need both a strategy and a way to break the geas.

He had to bite back a groan when he realized what that meant. He needed to some research. That meant hours in the library looking through family histories. Seifer just knew that Cariad's identity was part of the puzzle. And he needed to have a talk with Matron for several reasons. As reluctant as he was to tell anyone about Quis, Matron was the only one he knew who might know how to break a geas, and if Quis really was a sorceress, she would need training as well. A completely untrained sorceress at full power with no knight was a disaster waiting to happen.

Seifer knew that he couldn't really deny the fact that he was falling in love with her if not already in love with her. He wanted to keep her. But only if that was what she wanted. And Seifer wasn't about to let the Carrentes continue to control her. Geas like the one she was under were forbidden for a reason. It was slavery, pure and simple. In some ways, it was worse than that. They could control her body and her mind to some extent with a powerful enough geas. His expression turned determined. He'd make sure that Quis enjoyed the rest of her day off. And then he was going to make sure that by the end of Summer Court Quis was free to make her own choices about the future.


	13. Separate Paths

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

><p><strong>Separate Paths<strong>

When Quistis woke, the sun was much lower in the sky, and she could see a harbor coming into sight. Stretching, she tried to figure out where they were.

"Have a nice nap?"

She smiled and nodded at him. "Where are we?"

"Heading for Inishes. I figured we'd dock there and get some dinner before heading back to the castle."

"Sounds like a plan."

It doesn't take them long to reach the harbor. Clearly, Seifer has sailed in this area before as he directs their sailboat to a waiting slip without a comment from any of the harbor staff. Once the boat was tied up and secured, he took her by the hand and led her through the streets. Seifer's destination was a fairly prosperous looking pub. Neither of them stood out with the crowd there, and it didn't take long for Seifer to finagle them a table in an out of the way corner.

The food was delicious, and Quistis was far hungrier than she had expected. It was hearty fare, nothing special, but it was warm and filling, and when she discovered they had fresh brioche warm from the oven for dessert, she was absolutely delighted. There had been a session going all night, but by the time they were finished eating, people had begun moving furniture in order to set up a dance floor.

She couldn't help grabbing Seifer's hand and dragging him out to join the dancers. Quistis knew the country dances by heart even if she hadn't danced much in years. She was rarely included in the Carrentes' servants' celebrations. But these were dances that she, Rinoa, and Selphie had done many times and her parents too. Seifer made a face at her, but he was a willing dance partner throughout several sets. She was breathless and happy when they finally retreated back to their table.

Seifer grinned at her. "Having fun?"

Quistis nodded. "Yes."

"Good."

Still, before too long Quistis knew that they would both need to head back to the palace. It had been an all together lovely day. She hadn't felt so much like herself in ages. She had no idea why Seifer had gone out of his way to give her an all together wonderful day, but she appreciated the effort he had put into their outing. The moon was just beginning to rise when the two of them finally started back to the palace. To Quistis' surprise, they did not ride back to the palace, but instead made their way slowly along the coast, walking along the beach. Not that she minded. The first thing she had done when she'd realized Seifer's plan was take off her shoes. There was nothing like the feel of sand on her feet.

With a soft sigh, she dug her toes into the sand. And she clearly was not the only one who felt that way. Seifer had pulled off his boots and stowed them and her own shoes in the bag he was carrying. He linked his finger with hers, and the two of them made a slow progress towards the palace that could be clearly seen in the distance. Before to long, Quistis realized that Seifer was humming to himself. She easily recognized the tune, and before she really thought about it, she was singing it softly.

"I don't know if you can see the changes that have come over me. In these last few days I've been afraid that I might drift away. I've been telling old stories, singing songs that make me think about where I've come from. That's the reason why I seem so far away today.  
>Let me tell you that I love you. That I think about you all the time. Caledonia, you're calling me. Now I'm going home. But if I should become a stranger know that it would make me more than sad. Caledonia's been everything I've ever had…"<p>

She trailed off when she realized that Seifer had stopped walking and was staring at her. He blinked at her. "There are words that go with it? Rinoa's been humming the tune all week, and it keeps getting stuck in my head."

Quistis laughed. "It's an old folk song. It's about this area. This used to be a little kingdom of its own a long time ago. The princess had probably heard it before, and it is very catchy."

Seifer grinned at her. "Sing the rest of it."

They continued on their way as she did. It had been years since she had sung the song, but Quistis knew the words by heart. It had been her father's favorite lullaby to sing to her. He had not originally been from Caledonia, but he had made the duchy his home in short order once he had come of age. And the song suited her quite well right now. It had always been rather bittersweet but with hope, and that was how Quistis had been feeling lately. Their pace slowed as they came closer to the palace, and finally when they reached the stretch of beach in front of the palace, Seifer brought them to a stop.

Facing her, Seifer took her other hand in his.

"What do you want, Cariad?" Seifer held her gaze. "I mean what do really want for yourself?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she considered her question. How could she answer that? She could not tell him the truth, not directly, and while she did want her freedom, that was not all she really wanted. Finally, she found the words.

"I want to come home."

Seifer smiled gently at her. "All right."

There was something in the way he said that which made Quistis take notice. It was almost like a vow. Then before Quistis could really process that, Seifer let go of her hands and cupped her face. And then he kissed her. He leaned his forehead against hers.

"It will work out, Cariad. I promise."

She sighed softly, pulling away. "You can't call me that."

He tucked strand of hair behind her ear. "Not in public. I know, Cariad. But we're all alone right now."

Seifer kissed her again. Then he sighed. "Good night, Cariad."

"Good night, Seifer."

They climbed the steps up to the palace in silence and then went their separate ways.

* * *

><p>Seifer slept late the next morning. It was just as well. When he finally did wake, he really was not in the mood to be dealing with other people. Yesterday had been special, and Seifer was not entirely ready to let go of that feeling just yet. Besides, he had work to do. There were three main things that he needed to do. He needed to talk with Matron about gaes bound sorceresses and how to break a gaes spell. He needed to get a better idea of just who Cariad was (she was now Cariad in his mind rather than Quisty). And he needed to make sure that he could protect Cariad from the Carrentes once she was free of the spell.<p>

The easiest of those to tackle was figuring out just who Cariad was. Of course, that meant research which was not exactly one of Seifer's favorite activities, but he knew how to do it, and the solitude of the library suited him at the moment. It did help that library had a very large collection, including records of the local noble families. That would be the place to start. Seifer had no doubts about the fact that she was nobility.

Unfortunately, one of the difficult things about research is that it was hard to get much done when you kept getting interrupted. Seifer had barely gotten started when Squall hauled him off for some sword practice. Seifer did not know what was up with his foster brother and fellow knight, but he was clearly working out some sort of frustration. Then Seifer found himself pulled into another strategy session with Rinoa's personal court. Rinoa had some concerns about how some of the courtships were playing out so far. Nothing had turned ugly yet, but there were a few triangles going on that had the potential to get very nasty. Now Rinoa's court might not be able to do anything about that, but at the very least, they could at least keep an eye out for problems and keep things from escalating too much. No one wanted fatal duels going on this summer.

That was followed by a brief respite when Seifer managed to get back to the library, but that did not last long either. It was incredibly frustrating, and by the time that supper rolled around, Seifer was sulking. He was not getting anything done, and he hadn't even been able to see Quisty today. He hadn't really realized what a difference that made to him until now. He missed her. It felt like she should be here beside him, and the fact that she wasn't bothered him. Seifer still had no idea how to bring up the subject of Quisty with Matron. He didn't know enough about her situation to know what might make things worse, so he was planning on keeping as quiet as possible about specifics. However, it also was not the sort of thing that Matron would just let go.

Not that he blamed her exactly. Binding some one with a gaes was considered one of the worst things a magic user could do to another person. That there was someone here in Galbadia using gaes spells would definitely be something Matron would want to look into. Seifer just did not know if that could endanger Quisty. So he was going to have to come at the problem from a slightly different angle if he wanted to keep Matron from causing a fuss. Seifer sighed as she made his way back to the library. At least no one would probably bother him until lunch today.

He did find that he was no longer the only one using the library. The young Lord Adama was there doing some reading with Lady Thrace perched in a window beside him with a sketchpad. Seifer was familiar with both of them. Lord Lee Adama was a military man more than a knight, but he was good to have around in a fight. So was Lady Kara Thrace. Technically, she wasn't exactly a lady, but no one really pointed that fact out much. She had been unofficially adopted by the Adama family and could typically be found wherever Lee was. They might not be officially courting, but they might as well be betrothed as almost everyone knew that they were together. The only ones who seemed to have missed that were the handful of ladies trying to catch Lee's eye. It just was not going to happen.

But Lee Adama's presence was a good thing. Seifer knew that the man had a scholarly bent and he was also politically savvy, and once they started talking about what records Seifer was looking for, Lee managed to point him in the right direction. After all, Lee had grown up in Galbadia, and he knew which families had dropped out of the public view and which ones had all their members currently accounted for. Still, Seifer spent most of his morning pouring through records. By lunch he had come up with two options of just who Cariad was, though he still had a handful of records to sort through.

Still, he had managed to find two likely candidates. One was Lady Cariad Delwyn. She was the daughter of an impoverished noble scholar who had lived about fifty miles up the coast from the palace. She hadn't been seen since her father's death when she was about eight. The second was Lady Cassia Cariad Conroy. No one had really heard from anyone in her family since her father had fallen into debt when she was about twelve. According to Lee Adama, there were probably one or two other possible candidates to be found in the records Seifer had left to go through.

He managed to get out of a court session after lunch. Seifer made his way back to the library and his stacks of records. By the time his squire, Raijin came to drag him to dinner, Seifer had found two more candidates. Countess Cari Iswin, an orphan who supposedly had joined a nunnery, and Baroness Carys Nerys, a younger daughter of a local baron. It was unclear if she had run away or had been kidnapped when she was thirteen. Both of those two were a little further stretches for Quisty's real identity, but both Cari and Carys were pet forms of Cariad. All four women had foreign mothers, though only two were confirmed from Centra.

Quite frankly, none of the four possibilities really felt right to Seifer, but he would need to find out more information to really know what might be his Cariad's identity. If Princess Quistis was missing rather than dead, Seifer would have added her to the list too since she also fit all of the things Seifer knew about Quisty, but with her confirmed as dead that removed at least one possibility. But at least he had a better idea of where to start now.

* * *

><p>Quistis woke the day after her rest day to find herself with far more work than she had expected. It seemed like Calista and Aurelia had spent the entire day thinking of things to make Quistis do. Everything from repairing torn dresses to running errands. Quistis found that she barely had a moment to breathe. She was exhausted by the end of the day and retired without doing much other than finding supper for herself. She hadn't seen Seifer all day, but there was nothing she could do about that. He typically found her, rather than her seeking him out, and she was too tired to try at this point.<p>

The next morning did not bring any relief. Quistis quickly learned that with several large court events coming up, her mistresses once again needed new clothes. So Quistis was dragged off with them to some of the finest dressmakers in the area. Of course, Quistis was mostly there to carrying things, but she did find that the sessions were a wealth of information. The next two major court events were a masquerade and some sort of bonfire night. The last was some sort of Centran celebration, and no one present really knew much about it. But those were the reasons for the new clothes at least.

But what was really valuable to Quistis was information about the court. Much of it was simply petty gossip. Things like who was currently courting who and Calista and Aurelia's opinions on the various people at the Summer Court. However, both of the women had quite a lot to say about Princess Rinoa and Lady Selphie. Selphie was envied more than anything. Neither of the Carrente girls thought much of Selphie's fashion or personality, finding her a little too free spirited and tomboyish, but it was also clear to them that Selphie was the Crown Princess' best friend and often had her ear. It also appeared that Selphie was being courted by Irvine Kinneas, a young lord from Centra who was one of the Sorceress Edea's foster sons. Neither Aurelia nor Calista cared much about that. They didn't seem to consider Lord Kinneas too much of a catch when it came to the marriage market.

They had much more to say about Rinoa though. The Carrente girls couldn't seem to decide if they wanted to be Rinoa or just wanted to be her friends so they could have prestige and privileges. It was clear that neither girl had any idea just how much responsibility Rinoa had or the kind of pressure that would be on her, especially now that she was coming of age. But both Aurelia and Calista thought that Rinoa was beautiful and graceful with impeccable taste in fashion. They found her kindness to just about everyone rather puzzling, but that didn't surprise Quistis. The Carrentes were not the type of people who took care of one another.

There was a clear understanding amongst the court that Rinoa was as good as betrothed to Sir Squall Leonhart as well. He was another of Edea's foster sons. From what Quistis could tell from Calista and Aurelia's gossip and some of the stories Seifer had told her, the man was a very good knight, if rather stoic. Still, it seemed that he was utterly devoted to Rinoa, and she clearly loved him. That was good enough for Quistis. At least for now. She would like to have a chance to talk with the man to make sure he was not going to break her cousin's heart at any point, but that really was not an option right now. The good news was the fact that none of the Carrentes were really going to try and steal Squall from Rinoa. That was mostly because all of his value politically came from his association with Rinoa. The girls might think that he was handsome, but he wouldn't do them much good in games they were playing. And it would make Rinoa their enemy which was not in their plans.

That was good in Quistis' mind. It was one less thing that she had to worry about. Rinoa was safe enough from the Carrentes for now. While she had know doubt that if Countess Oriana saw an opportunity to put a member of her family on the throne the woman would take it, Quistis did not have to worry about Rinoa's love life being an angle of attack from the Carrentes. She did have to worry about the Carrentes trying to manipulate Rinoa, but Quistis rather doubted they would have much luck with that. Rinoa had always been stubborn, and it sounded like she was currently surrounded with a good group of friends who would be willing to tell her the truth when it was important. So that was one less worry for Quistis.

She had plenty of worries of her own anyway. Quistis knew that her relationship with Seifer was flirting with trouble, especially since he seemed determined to find out who she actually was and do something about her current situation. Quistis did not doubt that he could find some of the answers he sought. She just did not know if he could do anything to change the situation. And if Oriana ever realized what Seifer was doing, Quistis' life would be in danger, and quite possible Seifer's life as well. But Quistis also knew that she was not going to give their relationship up, despite how sensible it would be. Her relationship with Seifer was one of the few places where she could truly be herself, and she could not give that up.

It did mean that she would have to be very careful though. That should not be a problem. Caution was something Quistis was used to. What would really hurt was when she had to leave at the end of Summer Court. Unless either she or Seifer found a way to break the gaes she was bound by, she would eventually have to leave, and Quistis did not know if she could go on being Quisty Trepe without the escape to herself that Seifer had been providing her.

* * *

><p>Seifer had decided that he hated research. Tracking down details that might eliminate possible identities for Quisty was proving more than a little difficult. Furthermore, he found that the Summer Court was beginning to demand more of his time an attention. With two major events coming up in the next week, there were more strategy sessions with Rinoa and her personal court as well as things that he could not get out of.<p>

To be fair, Seifer was looking forward to the solstice celebration. It was a Centran holiday, not a Galbadian one, but it was very much linked to sorceresses, and it was one of Seifer's favorite celebrations. It also occurred to him that Cariad really should attend. He frowned, trying to figure out the logistics of that. She should be there. Part of the solstice celebration was celebrating the sorceress linage, and every sorceress there participated, no matter how strong or weak her powers were. Given Cariad's heritage, she definitely should be there.

Of course, that would mean she would need both free time away from her duties as a servant as well as something to wear. If she showed up on the beach where the bonfires would be in her servant's livery or even the outfit he had given her, she would stand out. Seifer had no doubt that in the proper clothing she could convince anyone that she was supposed to be there. So that would be two obstacles to tackle. It was probably manageable though. The hardest part would be the clothes. It had been easy enough to get common clothes for Quistis without trouble; he'd just claimed that he'd ruined a maid's best clothes by accident and owed her a new set. Something more fancy would be far more difficult to obtain. People would notice if he had the royal seamstresses make him women's clothes.

He had time to puzzle over that problem though. There was a week and a half until the solstice. Before that, he would have to suffer through the masquerade ball. At least it would allow him to avoid most of the ladies pursuing him. Seifer had no intention of dressing as anything recognizable as himself. That was just asking for trouble. Seifer could name at least half a dozen women who were interested in snaring him, and he wanted nothing to do with any of them. Especially not when he had already found his lady. Still, the masquerade might be a chance to do a little investigating of the Carrentes. He had no idea why they would want to gaes Cariad in the first place, and that might be a key in getting her free.

Seifer's other challenge was getting information out of Matron about gaes spells. So far, he had not exactly had much luck. He had casually brought up the topic in conversation and gotten the topic changed rather quickly. It seemed that they were not something Matron felt like just discussing with him. On the one hand, Seifer could understand that. Gaes spells were dangerous, cruel things, and it was better that most people did not know such a thing was possible. It could be too much temptation. And he could see why Matron might not want to talk to him about them if he was simply curious. However, Seifer had a good reason to be asking. It looked like he was going to have to let Matron in on that in order to get the answers he needed.

He didn't not want to take the risk of telling Matron everything though. There was too much of a risk of putting Cariad in danger that way. He would just have to find a way to leave out the details when he talked to Matron next time. Hopefully, he could do that without her becoming too suspicious. Cariad did not need the extra scrutiny right now, and Seifer did not want to tip his hand to the Carrentes. It would probably be much easier to free Cariad if they were not expected something of the sort.

So Seifer had started paying attention whenever the Carrentes came up in conversation as well as looking for any more clues as to who Quisty might really be. He wasn't sure yet if he could really eliminate any of his current candidates, but there was always a chance that someone would say something that could help. And Seifer did have a number of avenues of investigation in the library that he could try now that he had names to work with.

Really the only major drawback at the moment was the fact that he had little time to sneak visits to Cariad. In fact, he had only seen her in passing so far since their outing, and even that had only been twice. Seifer was used to spending more time with her. He missed her presence a great deal, and he wondered when he had gotten so used to having her around. It was not like they had known one another very long. But she just seemed to fit with him in a way that no one else did. Still, if it meant making sure that she was safe and free, Seifer could put up with the separation for awhile. But he was not about to give up Cariad. Not unless she told him that she never wanted to see him again. Until that happened, Seifer would do everything in his power to protect her and stand beside her.


	14. The Sky, the Sea, and the Dawn

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

><p><strong>The Sky, the Sea, and the Dawn<strong>

As it turned out, Lady Kara ended up being Seifer's saving grace when it came to finding something for Quisty to wear to the solstice celebrations. The blond woman had cornered him in the library while he was researching one afternoon.

"So, Almasy. It sounds like you need help." She perched on the library table he was using and blocked his main avenue of escape. "Lucky for you, I'm here."

He stared up at her, startled and slightly panicked.

Kara just laughed. "Like I couldn't figure out why you were so intent on figuring out the local genealogy. You've found some lady you fancy who is an impoverished noble. She won't tell you her background because she's embarrassed, and you need to know exactly who she is so you can officially introduce her to Princess Rinoa. Lee and I figured it out almost immediately."

Seifer let out the breath he was holding. That was actually a completely safe and reasonable explanation for what he was doing. "I fail to see why I'd need your help."

The woman just smirked at him. "I know how you operate. Given your caution and the fact that you've kept all this quiet so far, I'd say you don't want to throw her into the current feeding frenzy that is the court at the moment. She probably doesn't want to face the court either if she is impoverished. Even if she does have appropriate court attire, it can't be in the latest styles. And while I am quite sure you would purchase her a new wardrobe yourself, you can't go ask the seamstresses to make you some gowns. Not with out people starting to ask questions. That's where I come in."

Seifer blinked, feeling a little dizzy. It was no wonder that Kind Caraway sometimes used Lord Adama and Lady Thrace as special investigators. Still, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"You're going to order them for me."

She nodded. "Exactly. Mostly because you've given Lee a legitimate excuse to hide out in the library for the past week. Nobody complains when you tell them you're helping the Princess' personal court with something. So, I'm going to need your lady's measurements. I'd prefer to actually have her for the fittings, but I wasn't sure if I'd actually be able to get that."

He shook his head. "I rather doubt it."

Not when Quisty was so very jumpy about any hint of discovery. Either of their friendship or her identity. Seifer hadn't quite puzzled out the latter yet. It was almost as if his Cariad wanted people to know who she was but was terrified of that happening at the same time.

"Well, the measurements will have to do. Now what exactly do you want for her?"

Seifer knew the answer to that without thinking. "Two court dresses, one in green and one in blue-grey. Have you seen the designs for what Rinoa and Selphie are wearing for the solstice celebrations?"

At her nod, he continued, "One of those as well. That's it for now at least. Let me know what the expenses are, and I'll get you the money. I'll try to have the measurements to you by tomorrow."

She nodded. "All right. I take it you'll want the solstice celebration gown done first?"

It was his turn to nod. "Thank you."

Kara flashed him a bright smile. "You're welcome."

With that obstacle out of the way, Seifer just had to get Quisty's measurements. And hopefully she wouldn't hit him for asking. Of course, that did mean he would need to make sure he saw her today. Not that Seifer was against that idea. It had been awhile since he'd seen more than just a glimpse of his lady, and that was definitely something he wanted to rectify. Still, finding the time to slip away when Quisty might be free was more of a problem. It wasn't until after the evening banquet that Seifer managed to get away from the court. Thankfully, his Cariad was not all that hard to find.

She was down on the beach, sitting with her back to a piece of driftwood and her knees pulled up to her chest. Seifer mostly recognized her by hair. No one else had quite that same shade of hair, and very few of the servants had hair that long.

"Cariad?"

Her head popped up at the sound of his voice. "Oh. It's you."

He settled on the sand beside her. It sounded like she had been crying. "Are you all right, Cariad?"

She rest her chin on her knees, staring out at the water. For a long moment she did not answer him.

"There are times when more than anything I just want to escape. And sometimes I wonder just how hard it would be to walk into the sea and keep going. I haven't tried that."

Seifer wrapped an arm around her pulling into his side. Anchoring her to him.

"Who hurt you?" he snarled.

But Cariad just shook her head and leaned against him. She made no reply, and Seifer took that to mean she could not tell him. Then he realized what that last bit she had said meant. His lady had tested the limits of her gaes. She probably knew very well what she could and could not do. That was rather encouraging. And it also meant that she could very well be trying to drop him hints when she could. He would have to pay more attention to exactly what she said. But he would worry about that later.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "We will find a way to get you free. I promise."

Then Seifer decided that a change in subject was needed. "So, I'm guessing that you didn't hear about the latest court gossip."

With that he launched in a series of the more amusing events of the Summer Court so far. It wasn't too long until he had gotten her giggling at the tale of how Lady Hawkeye had dealt with her betrothed's most ardent pursuer by challenging the woman to a single combat duel. Lady Hawkeye had served in the military with her betrothed. Lady Suella had never done anything more strenuous than a night of dancing at a ball. Needless to say, the other court ladies chasing Viscount Mustang left him alone after that for the most part. And it wasn't until she had been laughing so hard at some of the stories that tears appeared in her eyes that Seifer dared asked her about her measurements. She promptly punched him in the arm.

* * *

><p>Quistis was so tired. She didn't know why Aurelia and Calista had suddenly decided to run her ragged, but she had barely had a moment to herself lately. It was clear that both women were stepping up their games when it came to snaring their young men. So Quistis had been swamped with various tasks. It had been days since she had seen Seifer for more than just a moment or two passing in the halls. Seifer had easily become one of her coping mechanisms. Spending time with him helped get her through the rest of her day. So it wasn't surprising that not seeing him had an effect on her mood.<p>

But she had other frustrations as well. Of course she didn't like being run ragged with her duties, but Quistis was used to the life of a servant by now, even if it wasn't typically this hectic. No, the things that were currently worrying her had more to do with the way her mistresses were going about getting their hooks into the young men that they were after and the fact that Seifer was one of those men. Also, there seemed to be a current of anti-sorceress sentiment that Countess Oriana was trying to stir up which concerned Quistis. More so now that she knew that Rinoa was a sorceress as well. Quistis could come up with several ways that Oriana could use that fact to her political advantage, and if she could think of them, Countess Oriana definitely could.

So, her cousin could quite possibly be facing problems from Oriana, and Quistis could not even warn her. In fact, Quistis didn't even know what Oriana might be planning. It was more than a little frustrating. There was really nothing she could do but worry, and that was hardly helpful to anyone. And it did not help that she had to listen to hours of gossip and accounts of court life that she would have been a part of. It seemed that everything lately was rubbing her face in the fact that she was no longer a part of the community that she had once felt at home in. And it seemed like there was nothing she could do to escape that.

Quistis was tired of being alone. She was tired of being isolated, and she was tired of having to keep secrets. Which probably prompted her comment to Seifer. She was not about to kill herself at the moment, though lately, that thought had been in her mind. If it became the only way to protect the people she loved from one of Oriana's plots, Quistis would do what she had to in order to keep them safe. Though she wasn't about to tell Seifer that at the moment.

His presence was comforting now, even if she wasn't sure why he wanted her measurements for clothes. Well, actually Quistis could guess at that, but she had no idea what he was up to. To be honest, Quistis was trying not to think about what he might have planned. If she thought about it, she would probably be terrified for him. Seifer was determined to find out who she was and to help her. And while Quistis was pretty sure that he was going to find out who she was, she did not know what would happen when he did. There were a number of very bad options that all seemed likely. Oriana was guilty of at least three serious crimes in regards to her treatment of Quistis, and she was probably guilty of more. The fact that she was alive and free to continue with her schemes told Quistis that Oriana was either very careful or very ruthless, quite possibly both.

That was not good news for Seifer and Quistis if they did not have a plan. But Quistis could not warn Seifer either thanks to the gaes. But she did not doubt that Oriana wouldn't hesitate to remove Seifer from the picture if she thought he was dangerous to her plans. And that terrified Quistis. It also rather terrified her to realize just how important Seifer Almasy had become to her. But he had slipped under her guard, and now Quistis was dreading leaving him behind when Summer Court ended. And the thought of being the cause of Seifer's death or being used to some how entrap him was worse. It would be just like Oriana to use her relationship with Seifer to manipulate Seifer into marrying one of the Carrente girls.

She had slipped back into her melancholy, despite Seifer's efforts to distract her, and he had clearly noticed.

"Cariad," his voice was gentle as the pair watched the sea, "are you really all right?"

She sighed softly as he tightened the warm wrapped around her shoulders. "Yes. Just melancholy. You don't have to stay."

Seifer just shook his head. "Nah. I don't mind."

Quistis had to admit that it was very soothing sitting here with him watching the waves. She wasn't exactly happy, but she was content for the moment. And Seifer's presence beside her was warm enough to ward off the evening chill. It was not normally so cold here in the summer, but Quistis could see the storm brewing on the horizon, and that was affecting the temperature. She wasn't worried about the weather. Watching storms was actually a pastime she missed from her childhood.

Yawning, she snuggled closer to Seifer.

"You're falling asleep on me, aren't you?" He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

Quistis just shrugged. It was true. But she wasn't really ready to give this moment up and go back to the servants' quarters. She was too comfortable here, and really, she preferred spending her free time in Seifer's company. She was storing up all the memories she made with him to bolster her when she returned to the Oriana's estate. Because while part of her did truly believe that Seifer would find a way to help her escape the gaes, most of Quistis did not. She had done just about everything she could think of to break the gaes that she could think of short of killing herself (and she really didn't know if the gaes would allow her to do that), and often any hope of freedom was far off and distant. Quite frankly, she was afraid to really hope for fear of simply being disappointed. She had learned that lesson well in the early years of her imprisonment.

Shaking her head to chase away the dark thoughts, Quistis tried to simply enjoy the moment. Right now, things were just fine, and she shouldn't borrow trouble. She already had enough of her own.

* * *

><p>Seifer was concerned about Cariad, but there wasn't much more he could do at this point except what he already was doing. And after that evening on the beach, Quisty did go back to her normal, slightly sarcastic self. Still, Seifer could see that the situation was weighing on her. He hadn't known her long enough to know if this was just something that happened at regular intervals (it couldn't be easy to bound like she was especially if this had been going on for years) or a more recent development. He was still puzzling about how to get the information he needed about gaes spells from Matron. All of his attempts had been unsuccessful so far, and attempts to research the subject on his own had proven futile.<p>

Rinoa caught him as he was heading towards the library. "Father wants to talk to you Seifer."

There was something in her eyes that he couldn't quite read.

"Now?"

The princess nodded. "Yes. Come on."

As the two of them walked towards the King's temporary study, Seifer watched Rinoa. Something was bothering her. He tried to think of why the king might want to see him. There had not been any incidents that he'd been involved in lately that might cause a reprimand. He'd been too busy trying to figure out the mysteries that Cariad presented. So he probably wasn't in trouble. And as far as he knew, there had not been any major troubles with the Summer Court.

None of the possibilities that he could come up prepared him for the truth though. Seifer just stared at King Caraway.

"You want to make me Duke of Caledonia?"

The king nodded. "All of you from Centra will need titles here soon enough, and it makes sense. You are practically Rinoa's brother, so a duchy is appropriate. I would have given Caledonia to Squall, but there are too many hard memories here for Rinoa, so that didn't seem prudent. Besides, with its seaside location, it suits you quite well."

Seifer just nodded. He had not expected this at all. Well, he had expected a title of some sort once Rinoa came of age, but that was for practical reasons. But he'd expected it to be a minor one, not anything like this. He was in something of a daze as Caraway insisted on going through all of the paperwork and records with him. It would not be made official until an official court announcement and ceremony, but several hours later, Seifer had a basic idea of his new lands and title and the responsibilities that went with them. The whole time Rinoa watched something both pleased and sad in her eyes. Seifer guessed that had to do with the "hard memories" her father had mentioned. He was going to have to find out about that.

He also found that he needed to do something to clear his mind. It was all a little overwhelming, and on top of everything else that was going on, Seifer felt the need to do something that didn't involve thinking. So he went off in search of Squall for a sparring session. It was exactly what he needed. Sparring with Squall always took all of his attention, and it was a challenge. An hour later when they finished, Seifer was feeling a little more like himself.

So, Caledonia was his. Or would be soon enough. Seifer had the urge to start exploring the palace here. He was curious to see if he could find any answers in the castle's attics. There was so much about this place that lends itself to mystery: the fact that no one in Rinoa's closest circle wants to talk about it, its tragic history, and Quisty's connection to the place. This place seemed to tie into too many things, and Seifer had to admit he was curious. He did have a knack for poking his nose into things that were really none of his business, but often, Seifer couldn't help it, even if it did get him in trouble.

After searching for Cariad and not finding her at all, Seifer decided to do a little exploring. It did not take him long to find his way into the attics. It was clear that quite a few things had been put into storage, and with little rhyme of reason as far as Seifer could tell. One of the more interesting things that he came across was a collection of paintings. It didn't take Seifer long to figure out just why they were in storage. The first one was a portrait of King Caraway when he was younger and another man who could only be Caraway's brother.

Seifer studied the portrait. There was something oddly familiar about Prince Derek. It was his eyes Seifer finally decided. His eyes were just a few shades darker than Quisty's. Seifer rather thought he would have liked the man. From the portrait he got the impression that the man was always ready for the next adventure. The little that Seifer had managed to learn about the man backed that up.

Rummaging through the various chests proved interesting. Most of them contained clothes, but a few of them contained other things. Seifer found chest of armor and weaponry, and another with a collection of children's toys. But what was most intriguing to Seifer was the jewelry chest. He guessed it had belonged to Princess Idalia. It was what was inside that proved most interesting though. Most of the jewelry was what one would expect a royal to have. All of it was finely crafted and delicately made. However, there were a handful of pieces that Seifer immediately recognized. Two matching sets to be precise. Anyone from Centra would recognize the necklace, diadem, and bracelets are symbols of a sorceress. Princess Idalia had one set that was silver and moonstones, and one that was clearly an heirloom, made of gold and opals.

The thing was Seifer knew the pattern engraved on the older set. He frowned at the engravings. They tugged at his memory, but he couldn't place them. Carefully tucking both sets back in their protective clothes, Seifer packed up the jewelry chest and set it aside some place where he could easily find it again. Something told him that he'd just found an important piece of the puzzle, even if he didn't know where it fit in.

* * *

><p>With a soft sigh, Quistis put the finishing touches on Aurelia's hair. Calista was already dressed and ready for the masquerade ball. Calista was dressed as a peacock while Aurelia's costume was that of a wood nymph. The costumes were both sleek and elegant, and Quistis had to admit that the young women made a pretty picture. Of course, neither were what she herself would have chosen. Quistis still remembered clearly discussions she'd had with Rinoa and Selphie over what costumes they wanted for their first official masquerade. Selphie had wanted to be a fox. Rinoa had been torn between being an angel or a firebird. Quistis herself had wanted to be a mermaid or some sort of water nymph.<p>

She was left alone in her mistresses' quarters once they had swept off. Quistis made her way around the room carefully tidying up the various bits of clutter. It did not take her long to restore order to the room, and for once, neither Calista nor Aurelia had left orders for something for her to do while they were out. So she had free time on her hands if she wanted to do something. The only real problem with that was normally she'd spend her free time with Seifer, and he was he was at the same masquerade as her mistresses.

A thought occurred to Quistis, and she bit her lip. She probably could manage to slip into the ballroom and find a place where she could observe the party. It was the type of thing that servants did. And she wanted a chance to see Rinoa and Selphie close up. She had seen them both from a distance a few times since she had arrived at the Summer Court, but that didn't tell her anything. From what Seifer said, both of her surrogate sisters were doing quite well, but Quistis wanted to see it for herself.

It was not hard at all to find a hidden vantage point and watch the masquerade. In fact, Quistis found that she was not the only servant doing so. Of course, things were slightly complicated by the fact that she didn't know who was behind most of the masks. Quistis thought she spotted Selphie. At least, there was a girl dressed as fox who kept circulating around the room in a rather rapid fashion that was very reminiscent of Selphie. There was also a slightly non-traditional looking angel that Quistis had the hunch was Rinoa, in part due to the fact that she was always shadowed by a rather formidable looking wolf. If Quistis had to guess, that would be Sir Leonhart. She had yet to be able to figure out which of the men were Seifer.

There was something fascinating about watching the event without being a part of it. While Quistis could not always hear the conversations going on, there was a lot one could learn from body language and people's actions. For example, Calista was very clearly trying to attract the attention of the young man dressed as an old sun god from mythology. She would sidle up to him, lay a hand on his shoulder, bat her eyes, and everything else. He would always shrug her off and move away from her, even if it was just inches. And he always stood angled towards his companion, a blond girl dressed as a moon goddess. Given that their costumes matched, and they way the pair acted together, Quistis was baffled as to why Calista hadn't given up yet.

Most of what Quistis saw she liked. It seemed that the court was genuinely enjoying themselves, and most of the young people looked quite happy. There had been a few minor incidents that Quistis had caught, but for the most part, the masquerade seemed to be going quite well. And Rinoa's dazzling smile as her knight whirled her around the dance floor was priceless. It had been that smile that had confirmed to Quistis that the angel was her cousin. Deciding that she had seen what she needed to, Quistis slipped out of the ballroom and onto the terrace it opened onto

She kept the shadows as there were a number of people out here, partygoers who had wanted a breath of air and a few couples. It was slow going, but Quistis eventually reached the stairs down the beach. It didn't take her long to realize that she had been followed. Turning around, she came face to face a young man costumed as a dragon. She took a cautious step backwards, but the dragon simply shrugged slightly and peeled off his mask. Seifer's eyes met hers.

"I thought that was you." He grinned at her. "What do you think of the party?"

Quistis shrugged slightly. "It was interesting to watch."

"You mean you're glad you didn't have to deal with all of the insanity of political maneuvering and courtship going on."

"That too."

He reached out to take her hand, and the two of them just ended up wandering down the beach together, neither really talking much. Quistis let out a soft sigh and let herself relax. Seifer's company was a bit of a balm. Part of the reason she had left the masquerade was she was beginning to feel the familiar stirring of resentment. By all rights, she should have been participating in the masquerade as well. Ever since she had arrived here, Quistis had found it harder and harder to keep her emotions about being gaes bound tucked safely in their little box. At least when she was with Seifer, she could be herself for the most part.

Seifer squeezed her hand lightly. "Do you know what your mistresses' plans for the solstice are yet?"

She frowned at him slightly. "Probably the same thing as the rest of the court. Why?"

"I wanted to know if you would be free to attend the bonfires. It sounds like you will be."

Her frown deepened. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Seifer ran a thumb over the back of her hand. "Don't worry. No one is going to notice you. But you should be there. You're of Centran sorceress linage. The solstice is important."

Something about that statement seemed familiar, and Quistis could remember spending solstice evenings dancing on the beach with her mother.

"I'll try to be available."

That seemed acceptable to Seifer. The two of them continued their stroll down the beach. Quistis kept an eye on the party goers above them on the terrace, but no one else seemed to wander down to the beach, and so for the moment, she let herself just enjoy the evening.

* * *

><p>Kara brought him the dress just a day before the solstice. Seifer tucked the grey crepe silk dress away in his own wardrobe for the time being. He was debating taking her the silver and moonstone necklace he had found in the attics as well. It was the main symbol that a sorceress wore, but even if Castle Caledonia and its contents would be his soon enough, Seifer felt a little odd about just giving away something that had belonged to the previous owner. He would have to think about that one a little longer.<p>

It was in the back of his mind as he helped Rinoa prepare for the celebrations tomorrow. It would be the first time that she had participated in a tradition Centran solstice celebration, and she was rather nervous about the whole thing. Especially since she had a large part in play in it. Seifer watched from the window seat in the drawing room of her suite as the Crown Princess paced the room looking more and more agitated with every passing moment.

"You know, this isn't exactly life and death, Princess," he drawled.

Rinoa glared at him, fiddling with her own sorceress' pendant. Hers was platinum and sapphire with the pattern of wings that was her own personal coat of arms engraved on the back of it. Deciding that it would be better to change the subject, Seifer blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Do you want any of the stuff up in the attics? I was poking around up there the other day and found some jewelry."

Rinoa's face fell. "No. It's Quistis'. I mean, it's pretty much yours now, and if you can find some use for any of it, do. But all of that would have belonged to Aunt Idalia, and it should have gone to Quistis when she came of age."

Seifer studied Rinoa's face. "You miss her. None of you talk about her, but you all miss her."

Rinoa shrugged. "She was Selphie and mine's older sister. Maybe not by blood, but still. It would be like if one of your foster brothers died."

"But we would still talk about whoever died. Half the time it's like she doesn't exist."

"If we talk about her, Seifer, we'll start thinking about it again. It's the wondering what happened that is the worst. The truth of the matter is we don't know what happened to Quistis. We just know that she's dead. And our imaginations can come up with terrifying possibilities." Rinoa shook her head. "If you can find a use for any of the things in the attic or find someone who will love them, go ahead and use them. Quistis wouldn't want them to be wasted, but neither Selphie nor I can stand to have them."

Seifer filed that information away and turned his attention to teasing Rinoa about Squall. That was a surefire way to put her in a better mood. By the time the two of them left to attend supper with the rest of the court, Rinoa was in a much better mood and she wasn't worrying about the celebrations the next day. Of course, she was worrying about Seifer might say to her father about the way she and Squall kept sneaking off, but Seifer had felt honor bound to give her a hard time about that. It was what brothers did.

What was frustrating was spending the next day waiting. Seifer knew that he wouldn't be able to get a hold of Quisty until the court started heading for the beach which was just before sunset. That wouldn't give them a lot of time, and it also meant that Seifer got to spend most of his day waiting. But he wasn't impatient enough to forget to double check that the Carrentes had gone down to the beach before he slipped into their assigned wing of quarters. His Cariad was easy enough to find; she was finishing tidying up her mistresses' rooms. Seifer slipped inside.

"Are you ready?"

Quistis nodded. "I should be good to go. What's that?"

He held out the bundle of clothes to her. "Proper attire. Go change and take your hair down. It's customary to wear unbound for tonight. And no shoes."

She shot him a brief glare but quickly disappeared into what assumed was the alcove that served as her quarters. But she returned moments later with an almost shy smile on her face. Seifer blinked. He'd never seen her up close with her hair down before. It fell just past her waist, and for some reason, it made her appear more vulnerable than normal. But one thing was certain, she looked entirely Centran. If anyone did notice her and pay attention, they would probably just assume that she was yet another Centran who had showed up for the celebration. Seifer smiled at her.

"One last thing, and then we're ready to go." He held out the silver and moonstone pendant. "The traditional symbol of a sorceress or a girl from a sorceress linage."

Cariad just stood there a moment blinking before reaching out and taking the necklace. Her hands trembled a little as she put it on, and she ran her thumb across the pendant, her eyes sad. At his look, she offered him a wistful little smile.

"My mother had one of these. She wore it almost every day, except for special occasions." She shook her head. "All right. Let's go."

Hand in hand, the two of them joined the crowds gathering on the beach. They didn't stand out much. Most of the court had adopted Centran styles for the event, though a number of Galbadian nobles had stuck with their normal attire. They weren't going to be that comfortable later on in the evening, but Seifer didn't really care. He lead Quisty towards the largest of the bonfires and to a spot on the ocean side. That way the pair of them were out of Rinoa and Matron's line of sight, but still close enough to hear everything clearly. He winked at Cariad as the sun finally began to set, and the celebration began.

Glass lanterns were passed around to those nearest the bonfire, and Seifer pressed one into Cariad's hands. The crowd around them quieted, and Seifer knew what was going on. On the other side of the pyre, Rinoa would be stepping forward with a lantern in her hands and beginning the ceremony.

Rinoa's voice rose in the traditional song, but Seifer frowned as her voice faltered. It was almost as if she had forgotten the words. Then the song rose up clear and strong from beside him. Rinoa's voice soon joined Quisty's, followed by Selphie's and then other's in the crowd. And when the song end and the bonfire sprung to life, Seifer turned to look at his Cariad who looked equal parts proud and terrified.


	15. Mo Ghile Mear

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

><p><strong>Mo Ghile Mear<strong>

She had not meant to start singing. It had been part instinct and part reaction to the music. Quistis knew that particular song by heart. She'd heard her mother sing it plenty of times. And she had recognized Rinoa's voice. The moment her cousin's voice had startled to falter, Quistis had raised her own in support. And once she had started, she could not stop. The music poured out of her without thought. It was only when the song ended that Quistis realized exactly what she had done.

However, Seifer acted before she could panic, drawing her back into the safety of the crowd. But he was beaming at her even as they mixed with the rest of the crowd that was now milling about. He cupped her cheek.

"I knew that you belonged here. Good job, sweetheart." Seifer's fingers curled around hers. "Come on, let's get something to eat before the dancing starts."

One hand still gripping the glass lantern, Quistis let him lead her towards the tables set up with food. She was wary at first of the crowd, but it quickly became clear that since she was dressed like most of the young women, no one took a second glance at her. She knew she looked differently than normal. Oddly enough, she did feel more like herself with her long hair unbound and free of a servant's garb. But she didn't have much time to consider any of this. Seifer quickly had her caught up in the festivities.

The pair of them staked out a piece of driftwood as their bench for the evening, using Quistis' lantern to mark the spot. She has to admit that she's fascinated by the ongoing celebrations. They are nothing like typical court events. Bonfires were lit up and down the beach, and there were numerous tables scattered around piled with finger foods and various drinks. There were several small musical groups scattered around playing music that would be more familiar in a seaside tavern than at the Royal Court.

Seifer quickly pulled her out to join the dancers. The steps were familiar to Quistis, and she was soon caught up in the music and motion. Seifer partnered her for all of the dances, and while the sand did not exactly make for the best dance floor, she found she did not care. Delighted and breathless, Quistis was more than willing to lose herself in the music and dancing. Wrapped up in music and laughter and Seifer's arms, Quistis finds herself really and truly happy.

She cannot dance forever though, and eventually they retire back to their driftwood perch with cool drinks. Seifer seemed fascinated with her long hair, playing with its pale strands. Quistis sipped at her iced drink.

"How long does all this last?"

He grinned. "Until dawn. Have you got your second wind yet?"

She just shook her head. "Not yet."

"We have all night. Don't worry." He sipped his own drink. "Are you having a good time, Cariad?"

Quistis did not doubt she was smiling. "Yes."

"Good." Then to her utter surprise, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Come walk along the waterline with me."

Tucking her hand in the crook of his arm, Seifer led her down to the water. There was enough of a breeze coming off the water to cool her flushed cheeks, and Quistis let out a soft sigh. The wet sound felt lovely against her feet, and Quistis took the opportunity to really get a good look at the Royal Court. She had spotted Rinoa dancing by one of the bonfires. The princess' dance partner was not the most skilled, but the pair seemed to be enjoying themselves. Seifer noticed the direction of her attention and laughed.

"That's Squall. He's become a better dancer since meeting Rin, but it still isn't his best talent."

"Are they happy?"

"Yes. It took forever for Squall to actually admit that he cared, but once he did that, I don't think anything could have kept them apart." Seifer seemed to be considering his statement. "Actually, I don't think that anything could have kept them apart before he admitted that, but then Squall didn't have any idea why he was willing to risk life and limb for her."

"Good."

Rinoa looked happy. And it sounded like she had someone who would support and protect her. Quistis had often played that role when they had been young, and it reassured Quistis to know that Rinoa still had people to back her and take care of her. She shook her head with a smile.

"I don't think I recognize half the people here."

Seifer shrugged. "The Summer Court seems to have brought everyone out of the woodwork. I think that the matchmaking mamas have something to do with that."

"Have they set their sights on you yet?"

Seifer seemed almost startled by her questions. "They've tried."

He paused a moment. "You're trying to warn me about something."

Quistis gave a little shrug of her shoulders. She was, but she didn't know if she could actually tell him that, and she wasn't about to potentially invoke her gaes when she was having a wonderful time. Seifer gave her a long look, and then changed the subject.

"Do you see that blond over there by the smaller bonfire? The one with the short hair?"

Quistis nodded. The young woman was one of the many nobles that she did not recognize. Seifer grinned.

"That's Lady Ashelia. She's eloping tonight. So if anyone asks, we last saw her heading back to the palace with a headache."

Quistis arched an eyebrow at him. "Who is she running off with?"

"Now that is an interesting question. Technically, she's running off with young Lord Bunansa. However, he's been living under an assumed name for a number of years and working as one of his majesty's privateers. The lady didn't know he was nobility they first met, and I think that they're marrying under the name he's made his reputation under. Neither of the families approve, though admittedly, his father is crazy, and all Lady Ashelia has are distant relatives, but they're still making things difficult for the pair."

She bit her lip. It sounded like something out of a romantic play. Seifer's grin widened.

"Feeling up to more dancing?"

She grinned back. "I think so."

As they head towards one of the make shift dance floors, Quistis caught sight of an older, dark haired woman staring at them with an expression of disbelief. She didn't recognize the woman, but before she could ask Seifer about her, he'd pulled Quistis into the next round of dances.

* * *

><p>Seifer couldn't decide if he liked Cariad better by firelight or moonlight. No matter which though, Quistis was completely gorgeous when she was truly happy. As he'd hoped, no one paid much attention to who Quisty was. They assumed she was yet another noble, and several had tried to get a dance for her. However, Seifer had no intention on sharing his partner. And he was beginning to think he was going to have a great deal of trouble letting her go when tonight ended.<p>

Her fingers twined with his as she tugged him back towards their makeshift bench after yet another round of dancing. Seifer let her pull him down beside her and couldn't help but grin when she immediately used his shoulder for a pillow. Seifer slung an arm around her waste. It had been an interesting evening so far. Save for the dancing, Seifer and Quisty had kept mostly to themselves. His Cariad seemed perfectly happy and very much at ease. He had known that she would fit in. And hearing her sing.

It was one thing to hear Quisty hum to herself or sing a few lines of a song. It was something else entirely to hear her really sing, especially songs of his home. His lady sounded like she had been singing Centran songs for years. She also fit in here. Seifer could easily believe that she was a member of the Royal Court or at least had been at one point.

"Seifer! Are you…" Selphie's voice trailed off as she took in Quisty sitting beside him. "Oh. I didn't know you already found a dance partner. Lady Selphie of Trabia."

The look on Quisty's face was an odd combination of disguised terror and wistful longing. Her voice was soft and rough as if she had to force the words out. "Cariad."

Selphie's smile grew. "Lovely to meet you. Seifer, have you seen Irvine?"

He shook his head. "Not since before the bonfire was lit."

She huffed.

"Oh well. I'll go check with Rin." Then she winked at them. "Have a nice night!"

Beside him, Cariad was trembling. She stared at her hands, wringing them.

"Cariad?"

"I can't. If I could…"

"I know." He cupped her face in his hands. "It's all right, sweetheart."

Then Seifer leaned in and kissed her. A soft exclamation slipped out of her lips before she kissed him back. Her cheeks were quite flushed when he pulled back, and Seifer couldn't help but smile at her. Her blush intensified and she ducked her head. Seifer simply twined their fingers together.

"It doesn't matter who you were born, you know. I know who you are. You're my Cariad."

Her breath caught, and something lit in her eyes. Then his lady leaned in and kissed him soundly. Cariad wrapped her arms around his neck, and Seifer pulled her into his lap. She fit perfectly in his arms, and even after the kiss had ended, she stayed within the circle of his arms, her head tucked under his chin. Her face was hidden, pressed against his neck. Seifer could feel her lips move, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. Her voice was too quiet.

Seifer held her close. He didn't know what was going on in her head, but Seifer had come to a few decisions of his own. He was in love with Quisty Trepe. Nothing was going to change that. And as tonight proved, he was not going to be able to keep their relationship a secret forever; they had just been lucky Selphie hadn't been overly curious tonight. So he was going to have to do something to change the state of things. However, he couldn't just abscond with her, tempting as it was. Not until he had untangled the mess she was caught up in. Seifer had the feeling that he was missing one piece of the puzzle that would make everything else fall into place, and that it was just out of reach.

Eventually, Seifer coaxed Quisty back to the makeshift dance floor. She seemed to be enjoying herself once again, and Seifer was pleased to see that. She did tend to try and avoid interacting with other people, but that was typical of her, and tonight it really didn't matter. Everyone was enjoying themselves, especially couples. Besides, he wasn't really in the mood to share his Cariad with anyone tonight either.

The sky slowly beginning to lighten found the two of them rejoining most of the others around the largest bonfire. It had burned down to embers at this point, and it was clear that a number of people had given up and sought their beds sometime in the night. Still, there were a fair amount of people (mostly the younger set at court) were present. Rinoa stepped forward, lit by the glowing embers of the bonfire, with a smile and began to sing once again. Quisty was the first to join in the singing, but soon other voices were raised, and the dawn was greeted with song. Cariad's fingers were entwined with his. Their grip tightened when Rinoa began a spell. Seifer could sense magic in use (barely but still), and it didn't surprise him that Quisty could as well.

It was minutes before anyone could actually see the results of that spell, but Quisty was clearly sensing the magic at work. She seemed slightly disconcerted by it, but he guessed that was understandable. She might be of sorceress lineage, but he would bet quite a lot that her previous experiences with magic had not been exactly pleasant. He squeezed her hand gently, and she flashed him a smile before turning her attention back to Rinoa. As the song reached its height, a ball of soft blue light appeared over the bonfire before bursting into a shower of glowing sparks like a firework. That was the signal that ended the celebration.

They were among the first to leave the beach. Seifer kept her hand in his as they headed back towards the palace, reluctant to let her go. It was only when they reached the entrance to the servant's hall that he let her pull away. She smiled at him.

"Thank you, Seifer. I had a lovely time."

"It was no problem." He took her hands in his own. "Cariad of Caledonia, it is my honor and pleasure to make sure that you are treated like the lady that you are. I am more than happy to be your knight and protector."

"Seifer." Her eyes shone, and she kissed him quickly before disappearing into the servant's hall.

* * *

><p>Quistis carefully folded her dress and hid it and the moonstone pendant away with her other personal things. She didn't want either item found. If she didn't know better, she would say the pendant had been her mother's; it looked exactly the same down to the engraved patterns on the metal. But even if it wasn't, it was still special to her, if only for the fact that Seifer had given it to her. And it really wouldn't do for someone to come across either item. The questions both items might raise were ones that she did not want any of the Carrentes to be thinking about. It had occurred to Quistis that she had taken quite a risk by attending a court event. She didn't think that any of the Carrentes had seen her there, but it would probably be a good idea for her to keep a low profile for the next few days.<p>

Still, she was extremely happy as she sought her bed. It had been a thoroughly lovely evening to her mind, and she had enjoyed herself greatly. That moment when Selphie had come up to them had been dreadful, but Quistis had survived it. She had barely been able to force out a name when asked, though it was something of a triumph that it had been her own middle name. What she had wanted to do was wrap Selphie in a tight hug; it had hurt to pretend she was a stranger. But she had looked happy. And Seifer had absolutely wonderful. The whole evening had been wonderful.

She pulled her blankets tightly around herself. There was a little niggle of worry that she was trying to fight off. It very much sounded like Seifer might be in love with her. Quistis knew she was falling in love with him. And she was terrified that nothing could come of it. As long as she was bound by the spell, she couldn't let things go anywhere. It was too dangerous. To Seifer, to Rinoa, to the kingdom, even to herself. Quistis had been raised as a princess of the realm. She knew that she couldn't put the kingdom at risk, even if it hurt her. So either she as going to have to break the spell binding her or she was going to have to give Seifer up.

Which she didn't want to do, and to be honest, Quistis wasn't sure that Seifer would let her. So, she was going to have to figure out how to break the spell if she could. And she didn't have much time to do so. Letting out a little sigh, she closed her eyes. She would worry about it after she had gotten some sleep. She wasn't going to waste the small chance of rest she was getting. Instead she focused on the warm tingly feeling that Seifer's kisses had left her with and held onto that memory as sleep found her.

One of the older maids woke her not many hours later. Thankfully, it seemed everyone was sleeping late including the servants, so Quistis at least had gotten a few hours of sleep. And her good mood could not be dampened by the fact that she had only gotten a few hours of sleep. Aurelia and Calista were still abed, and Quistis went about her morning duties feeling rather lighthearted. The palace was very quiet for the most part. It seemed that most of the nobles would be sleeping late. It was an opportunity that Quistis could not resist.

As soon as her morning chores were done, she slipped out to the beach with a sweet roll. Quistis wanted a few moments of peace to organize her thoughts. She had until the end of Summer Court in order to figure out how to break the spell that bound her. Once Summer Court was over, Countess Oriana would drag her back to the Carrente estate, and Quistis doubted that she would have a chance to escape again. It was a limited window of opportunity.

She closed her eyes. She needed to get into the Royal Library. That would be the best place for her to look for some sort of clue on how to break the spell. Her other option, though Quistis rather thought it would be a last resort, would be to try and talked to the Sorceress Edea. It was unknown if she could actually ask the questions she needed to, but then maybe the sorceress could tell what was going on without being told. It was a dim hope, but Quistis supposed it was possible. That would be much harder to do than sneaking information out of the library, and Quistis was not going to try that first.

Letting the sound of the waves wash over her, Quistis tried to reach for the warm little ball of power that she'd sensed last night. When Rinoa had cast her spell, Quistis had felt something more than just the magic at work. She had almost been able to touch her own powers, but she had been two startled to really try. But something had shifted last night, even if Quistis didn't know enough about magic to know what had changed. She could almost reach that power now. She could definitely sense it when she hadn't really been able to do so before. Quistis was hoping that was a good thing. Of course, she didn't know how to really use that power as anything more than a sledgehammer, but maybe that would be enough.

But she couldn't touch it now. Quistis sighed deeply and opened her eyes. That power that she could feel was just out of reach. She let out a huff, feeling fury roll over her. She was sick of things not going her way. Quistis wanted her life back and her family back. She wanted her freedom, and she wanted Seifer. She was sick of being controlled, and she wasn't going to deal with this anymore. Either she broke the spell holding her before Summer Court was over with or she wasn't returning to the Carrente lands. She wasn't willing to entertain other options anymore.

* * *

><p>He should have known this was going to happen. Seifer should have expected this from the moment that Selphie had spotted him with Quisty last night. Her quick exit at the time had only been a reprieve. He'd wandered into the sitting room that Rinoa's court typically had breakfast in and had been ambushed by an interrogation. Apparently, Selphie had told Rinoa that she'd seen him with a girl last night, and both of them wanted details. Seifer wasn't really ready to share those yet. Unfortunately for him, he was well aware that it was an answer that neither of the ladies across the table from him would like. And it wasn't like he was going to get any help from anyone else around. Irvine wasn't awake yet, and Squall was no help as usual when it came to the girls. He was going to be lucky get a bite to eat between the questions.<p>

"So," Rinoa smiled as she nibbled a sweet roll, "who was the lady you were with last night? The one Selphie met. What did you say her name was?"

"Cariad," Selphie supplied from her perch. "She said her name was Cariad but didn't supply any other details or a surname. She's pretty too, Rin. Long pale blond hair and sapphire eyes. She's tall enough for Seifer too and very elegant."

Seifer was glad that the table was between him and the two women. The trick would be to give them enough information to satisfy them without giving away more information than he wanted to.

"She's Cariad of Caledonia. She's here for Summer Court. We've met a few times before. She agreed to let me escort her to the solstice celebration."

"So would she be the reason why you don't seem interested in any of the other ladies at court?" Rinoa's smile was very catlike.

Seifer shrugged slightly and reached for a pastry. "Perhaps. She's an interesting lady."

"When are you going to introduce us?" Rinoa pounced on the idea.

"I'm not sure," Seifer was completely honest about that. "She's rather shy. It took a lot of convincing for me to convince her to come last night. I don't think she's very comfortable around most of the Royal Court."

That was only stretching the truth slightly. Rinoa frowned at that.

"Does she know who you are?"

Seifer rolled his eyes. "No. She thinks that I'm some squire to one of the knights here at court. Of course, she knows who I am. I'm not that stupid."

He was saved from having to deal with Rinoa's response by Edea sweeping into the room. Her eyes lit on Seifer.

"Might I have a word with you, Seifer?" she asked as she collected a cup of coffee and pastry for herself.

"Of course, Matron."

He followed her out onto the balcony. His foster mother seemed rather lost in thought. Seifer frowned slightly. This was not really like Matron at all. Finally, she looked up at him, leaning against the railing.

"Was there really a young woman with you last night or was I just seeing things?"

There was something in the tone of her voice that worried Seifer. "Yes. That was Cariad."

It was Matron's turn to frown. "For a moment I thought she…"

"Who did you think she was?" The answer felt important for some reason.

"She looked like Idalia. I thought it was her spirit back on the beach. I only really saw her for a few moments. I could have sworn I was just seeing things."

Seifer bit his lip. That was the missing piece. Cariad's mother who was a sorceress from Centra that Cariad knew very little about in so many ways. Idalia Llewellyn, Edea's foster sister, who had gone missing years before his Cariad would have been born and who was the most powerful sorceress in her generation. No one in Centra had ever known what had happened to her; she had just been assumed to be dead after a few years. But there had never been any proof of that. He needed to go back to the records and check the names of the girls' mothers. But he had just found the key to her identity.

"Sometimes it's so hard to believe she's just gone." Matron shook her head then met his eyes. "So, you've found your lady. And your sorceress?"

Seifer shrugged. "Maybe. She's not trained. And I think she's bound by a gaes spell. She can't tell me, and I don't have confirmation. Unfortunately, she is extremely reluctant to have anyone who is actually a member of the Royal Court see her, so I couldn't just bring her to you."

"If you could convince, I can tell for sure. I don't know if I could break the gaes spell if that's what it is, but at the very least I could confirm what it was."

"I'll try, Matron. It may take some time."

She smiled at him. "Do you best, dear. And I'm happy for you. You've been searching for your place for so long, and it feels like you've finally found it."

Seifer smiled. "Thank you, Matron."

She kissed his forehead. "You're welcome, dear."

He watched head back inside, feeling a weight lift off of his chest. Seifer had wanted her approval, but with Quisty being so skittish, he'd hesitated to even bring the subject up. He felt better for knowing that Matron approved of what he was doing. Seifer turned his gaze out to the ocean. Now he just had to get Quisty out of the Carrentes' clutches and break the gaes spell that bound her. And survive the rest of the interrogation he knew was waiting for him once he went back in to breakfast.

* * *

><p>Her good mood lasted for two full days after the solstice celebrations. Even Calista and Aurelia's normal shenanigans couldn't faze her. The only drawback was the fact that it was nearly a day and a half before she saw Seifer again. Thanks to a feast, Quistis had been able to slip way before sunset. Feeling the need for a change, she had worn the clothes Seifer had given her for their sailing trip and her favorite handmaid necklace, the one with the green sea glass. She had paused a moment when picking that out.<p>

The piece of glass reminded her of Seifer's eyes. It had also matched the eyes of the boy who gave it to her. Quistis blinked at that as she threaded her way through the palace and out to the beach. It had been ages since she had thought about that morning, but the little boy had had blond hair, green eyes, and Seifer's smile. Could it have been him? They were the same age, so it could have been him. Of course, that would be assuming that Seifer had visited Galbadia before, something he had never mentioned. But there was a chance.

Settling on a piece of driftwood, Quistis considered if that information could be useful to her. She really wasn't sure. And she wasn't sure if she wanted Seifer to find out who she really was just yet. Until she was free of the gaes, it could be a liability for anyone to realize who she was. Lost in thought, she didn't hear him approach her.

"Hey, I've been looking for you." Seifer settled onto the driftwood beside her. "You look rather serious."

Quistis shrugged. "Just trying to figure something out. You know, I think we might have met before."

He blinked at her. "What do you mean?"

She tapped the glass in her necklace; it seemed that the gaes would let her talk about this. "When I was younger, I met a blond boy with green eyes on the beach, and he gave me this."

Seifer blinked at her again. "That was you?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yes. It was the last day of a summer trip."

His eyes narrowed. "I remember that. I wasn't sure you were real though. Pretty pale little girl dressed in the same color as the mist? You could have easily been a nymph of some sort."

Quistis just smiled. "No, just me. What were you doing in Galbadia?"

It was Seifer's turn to shrug. "Cid, my foster father, was visiting his mentor who was dying. My foster brothers and I mostly took as a vacation. That was fairly close to the palace wasn't it?"

She shook her head. "That beach is at least fifty miles south of here."

He reached for her hand, twining their fingers together. Quistis blinked slightly and bit her lip. She could touch her magic now. Just barely, and Quistis didn't know if she could do anything with it, but she could actually call it forth. Wide eyed, she turned to Seifer. He calmly met her eyes.

"My magic-"

He lifted their joined hands which were glowing slightly with a silvery blue-green light. "Sorceress-knight bond. You couldn't use your magic before, could you?"

She shook her head, rather speechless. She hadn't expected this at all. It was habit now to try and reach for her magic at random points of the day, but she had never been able to really do anything with it until now. Almost giddy with the thought, Quistis closed her eyes and reached for the magic. But as she tried to use her own magic push at the gaes spell that bound her, the tell tale signs of the gaes sprang to life, and Quistis found herself gasping for air.

Seifer let go of her hand, and Quistis felt her connection the magic break, but she was too focused on trying to breathe to really care. When her breathing finally went back to normal, she found herself seated in Seifer's lap as he rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded, not trusting her voice just yet.

"Is the reaction always that bad?"

Quistis shook her head. She hadn't provoked a reaction that severe from the gaes in quite awhile.

Seifer sighed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Let's not do that again. You scared me there, Cariad."

For several long moments, she just rested there in his arms. She was exhausted. That had taken far more out of her than she had expected. Seifer held her close, and there was a safety here in his arms. She was well aware that it was only borrowed time though. She would need to get back to her duties shortly. But it was harder to pull herself away from Seifer than she had expected. He smiled at her and kissed her gently.

"You have to get back to work. I know. Can you get away this evening?"

She bit her lip, trying to think of her schedule. With a sigh she shook her head. "Not tonight with the high feast going on. Tomorrow night, yes."

"All right." He stole another kiss. "I'll meet you on the terrace."

Several minutes later, Quistis finally headed back to the Carrentes' rooms in the palace. She went back to preparing Aurelia and Calista's wardrobe for that evening. The feast tonight would be a very major one, and both girls had plans on working to snare their prospective bridegrooms. Quistis had been treated to a long discussion on that subject this morning while she helped the two prepare for their day. She hoped that the young men would be smart enough to see through the girls' schemes. Though admittedly, she wasn't so worried about Seifer any more. He had made it rather clear time and again that his interests centered clearly on her, and he wasn't in a position where he had to worry about pressure to form any sort of alliance with the Carrente family. Others might not be so lucky.

With a deep sigh, Quistis set to work pulling out dresses to air and iron. At least she had something to look forward to. She would survive this. And maybe she was one step closer to being free if she could just figure out what she could do with her magic.

* * *

><p>Frustrated by the situation and by the fact that Squall was currently off on a ride with Rinoa and unavailable to spar, Seifer instead turned to more attic explorations. At the very least it would give him an outlet for his energy. He wasn't really in the mood for socializing right now anyway. On the one hand, he'd proved that Quisty was his sorceress. But once again he'd had to let her go due to her gaes spell and the whole situation. He was very sick of that. Especially since he knew that what his Cariad was going back to was not a good situation at all. He hated being powerless to protect her, and he hated that they had to steal their moments together. She belonged at his side.<p>

The attic at least was distracting. Seifer wandered through its collection of trunks and various items. A stack of paintings caught his attention, and Seifer began pulling the covers off of them. The first was clearly a formal portrait of Prince Derek. He appeared slightly older in this one than the previous painting Seifer had found. There was another painting in the stack that was the same size and shape. Pulling off its cover, Seifer started in shock.

The woman could have been Quisty save for the fact that she had violet eyes and was clearly a few years older than his Cariad currently was. But other than that the two women were almost identical. Seifer checked the plaque on the frame more from habit than to confirm what he knew. It read exactly what he had expected: _Her Royal Highness Princess Idalia Serian, Duchess of Caledonia_. He had no doubt that she was also Idalia Llewellyn of Centra. Seifer quickly began going through the rest of the painting in the stack.

He knew exactly what he was looking for. He just had to find the proof he needed. Most of the paintings were simply generic ancestors, but finally Seifer found the portrait he was looking for. Prince Derek and Princess Idalia stood together on the terrace of this very palace. Standing between them was a little girl, maybe five years old. She had Quisty's eyes and her smile. The plaque on this painting read: _Prince Derek Serian and Princess Idalia Serian with their daughter, Princess Quistis Cariad Serian_. He'd found his lady's identity all right. And it posed a whole new set of questions. Princess Quistis was supposed to be dead; she had been kidnapped and killed before Seifer had arrived in Galbadia. So what was she doing as a gaes bound servant to the Carrentes and why did everyone believe she was dead?


	16. Blood, Magic, and Moonlight

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

><p><strong>Blood, Magic, and Moonlight<strong>

Quistis let out a deep sigh of relief as she finished repairing Calista's gown. With that task finished and the dress hung up in the wardrobe, Quistis was free until morning. Her mistresses had turned in early this evening and left instructions not to be wakened until late. That was fine by Quistis. It would give her more time to spend with Seifer. It did not take long for Quistis to slip away from the Carrentes' quarters and thread her way through the palace and out to the terrace.

It was already dark out, but there was enough moonlight around that she could see well enough. She cast around the terrace trying to locate Seifer. Catching sight of him in the shadows, she stepped forward. Seifer smiled and pulled her into his arms. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"You're one of the strongest women I know. I can't imagine what it must be like to come back to your home and yet not be able to acknowledge the fact that it was your home or be able to assume your rightful place here."

She blinked up at him. Seifer smiled.

"I suppose I should call you your highness now." He cupped her cheek. "Princess Quistis Cariad Serian. You'll always be my Cariad though."

Quistis stared up at him, holding her breath. How had he figured it out? What was he going to do now? And it felt so good to be called by her own name. She bit her bit. Seifer just kissed her forehead again.

"Don't look so worried. I know you can't confirm or deny your identity for me. And I'm not about to go rushing off with that information and get you in hot water with the Carrentes." Seifer smiled. "But I wanted you to know that at least someone knew who you were."

She didn't know what to say. Seifer leaned in and kissed her gently. He twined their fingers together.

"Come on. I want to show you something."

He led her through the palace to a wing that Quistis was quite familiar with. It might have been redecorated since she had lived hear, but she still recognized the Royal Wing. Seifer pulled her into one of the suites that hadn't been in use when she'd lived here. The collection of rather dusty trunks and paintings propped up against a settee caught her eye immediately. Seifer gave her a little push towards it. She reached for one of the painting covers, pulling it off.

"Oh."

Her own face stared back at her, though much younger. It was the last formal portrait painted before her parents had died. She reached for the cover on the other painting to reveal the family portrait that matched it.

"Where did you find these?" Her fingers absently traced the features of her mother's face.

Seifer smiled gently. "In the attics here. I found a couple of other things that should belong to you now."

He'd assembled an odd assortment of things. The paintings, her mother's jewelry chest, her father's personal stationary kit complete with wax and seals among other things. Familiar items, but ones she hadn't seen in years. Seifer seemed completely content to watch her go through everything, sometimes telling him about an object or a memory when she could. Mostly she was just silent. Eventually though, she tore herself away from the artifacts of her former life.

"Thank you, Seifer."

"It's not a problem, Cariad."

She stretched, wincing when her back popped with the movement. Seifer frowned at that. Something flashed in his eyes, but he hesitated before speaking.

"Please don't hit me, but would you like a hot bath?"

It came out rather rushed. Quistis bit her lip. That sounded absolutely lovely. She rarely got a chance to have a bath rather than simply washing off with a pitcher of water, and to be able to soak in a hot bath was unheard of. It was so very tempting, and she trusted Seifer.

"You don't mind?"

"No. I know better than to get in between a girl and a bath." He grinned. "Come on, I'll show you the bathroom, and you can soak to your heart's content."

Being up to her neck in hot water was absolutely blissful. True enough Seifer didn't have any bubble bath or bath oils, but Quistis wasn't about to complain. He had a really nice bathtub. It was deep enough that she could have hot water up to her neck, and there was enough room for her to stretch out. It felt so good to be able to simply lay back in the tub and soak in the hot water and not have to worry about hurrying up or having to move on to her next task. It also finally gave her a chance to really process all that had happened. Seifer knew who she really was. The total ramifications of that hadn't entirely sunk in until now.

The big question really was what Seifer was planning on doing. He had said that he wasn't going to go rushing off with that information, but it did sound like he had some sort of plan. He had made it clear several times that he was not at all happy about the fact that the Carrentes were controlling her like they were and that he saw her as under his protection. So he was going to do something with the knowledge. However, unless he knew how to break the gaes spell that bound her, Quistis could not see what he could do with that knowledge that wouldn't end badly.

She was also a little concerned that even if he told someone what he had found out about her, they would not believe him. She was assumed to be dead after all, and it had been years since there had been any real sign of Quistis Serian in the world. As far as she had been able to tell since coming to court, the fact that she was dead had been accepted by everyone. She had been mourned, and then people had moved on. Quistis rather thought that she could prove who she was, but only if she could talk about herself, and until the gaes was broken, she couldn't do that.

Quistis sighed, trying not to dwell on that stumbling block. At least not right now. Taking a deep breath, she ducked under the water. When she surfaced, she set to work washing her hair. The water was beginning to cool down, and she wasn't going to miss the opportunity to really get her hair clean. Honestly, she would kill for the opportunity to use a bathtub like on a regular basis. This was pretty close to paradise in her mind.

* * *

><p>Soft footsteps distracted him from the book he'd picked up once Quistis had gone to take her bath. Seifer looked up to find her lingering in the door way, wrapped up in his robe. He grinned at her.<p>

"Feeling better?"

She smiled at him. "Yes. Thank you. That was lovely."

He smirked. "I know. You only love me for my bathtub."

Quistis shook her head. "Not only for your bathtub."

That admission wasn't one he'd expected. When he pulled her into his arms, she came with out any protest or resistance. She fit there perfectly, her head resting against his shoulder. Seifer pressed a kissed to the top of her head. What he wanted was to keep her here with him and keep her safe from any of the Carrentes' scheming. He wanted to be able to give her family back. Seifer knew that both Rinoa and Selphie would be thrilled to know that Quistis was still alive.

However, he was also very aware that any of those things could cause problems for Quistis. As long as she was bound by the gaes spell, she was in danger. Quistis sighed and snuggled closer in his embrace, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Tired, Cariad?"

"Exhausted. I should probably go."

He wasn't ready to let her go. "When do you have to be back?"

"Not until morning really. But I should get some rest."

Seifer smiled and scooped her up in his arms. "I think we can manage that."

He carried her over to his bed and set her on top of the covers. "I'll take the chase lounge. Get some rest, sweetheart."

He kissed her forehead. She blinked at him eyes wide then bit her lip. Seifer recognized it as her habit before taking some sort of risk.

"We could share the bed," she offered. Quistis met his eyes and smiled. "It is your bed after all."

It did not take long for the two of them to be cuddled under the covers together. Quistis fit perfectly against him, her back pressed up against his chest. Seifer draped an arm over her, holding her close. His lady was asleep within minutes, but Seifer found sleep more elusive. In part that was due to the woman in his arms. He really didn't want to miss a moment he had with her. Watching her sleep was rather fascinating anyway. Asleep, Quistis was completely at ease and at peace. Seifer wondered how long it had been since she'd slept in a real bed.

He had to convince her to see Matron. The gaes needed to be removed. Because one of these days he wasn't going to be able to let her go when their time together was up. And he had the feeling lately that Quistis didn't want to leave either. He sighed softly and closed his eyes, listening to her breathe. Eventually he drifted off to sleep.

Seifer woke when Quistis shifted beside him. He blearily opened his eyes to find the room lit with pale pre-dawn light. Beside him, Quistis looked both sleepy and rather mussed. He could resist. Seifer leaned in and kissed her.

"Morning, sweetheart."

She smiled shyly at him. "Morning."

His Cariad sighed slightly and slipped out of the bed. He watched as she unplaited her braid, brushed out her hair, and braided her neatly. Within moments she had slipped her servant's livery on over her shift. She started searching for her shoes.

"Cariad?"

"Yes?" she looked over at him with a smile.

"Can I introduce you to my foster mother?"

She froze. Seifer climbed out of bed and crossed the room towards her. Taking her hands in his, he leaned in to kiss her again.

"Please? There's a chance she might be able to break the gaes spell or know how we could do it."

Quistis bit her lip. "Maybe. Seifer, it's one thing for a servant girl to slip off and meet with a man. That's not going to cause the sort of talk that will necessarily grab her employer's attention. Meeting with another woman will. Especially if it's a woman who is the head of another household."

He squeezed her hands gently. "Trust me?"

"When? It can't be this morning, and I don't know when I will be able to get away next."

He sighed. "I'll figure something out. See if you can figure out the next time you can get a couple of hours off. I suppose it doesn't matter if we break the gaes, but if we don't right then, I don't want you in danger."

Quistis nodded. "All right."

She stepped away from him then turned back, catching his hand in hers.

"Seifer, thank you. For everything. You didn't have to do any of this."

He smiled down at her, tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear. "I knew you were something special the moment I met you. I wasn't about to just let you go then, and I won't lose you now.

His Cariad wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He held her close until she finally pulled back. Quistis met his eyes.

"I love you, Seifer. Not matter what else happens with all of this, please know that."

She slipped away before he had a chance to respond to that. Seifer found he couldn't do anything except watch her go. Once she was out of sight, he found himself pulling out clothes for the day. Seifer didn't think he was going to get back to sleep. Besides, he had things to do today. He was not about to let this go on longer than he had to. Matron wouldn't be awake just yet, but there were a few other things he needed to get in order.

If he was going to reintroduce Princess Quistis Serian to the Royal Court, it would not hurt to have some information on hand. Including everything he could find out about the Carrente family. They were going to be leveling some very serious charges against the Carrentes, and it would not hurt to be prepared. Besides, it would keep him distracted until Matron was awake. The sooner he could arrange her meeting with Quistis the better. He would nip down to the kitchens to grab something to eat and then set to work on research. Maybe he could enlist Lord Adama's help with that again. He seemed to have a much better grip on the intricacies of Galbadian nobility than Seifer did.

* * *

><p>Quistis was going to get to go home if it was the last thing he did. Seifer was willing to take the fight to the Carrentes if he had to, but this was going to end, and sooner rather than later.<p>

She practically floated back to the Carrentes' rooms. Quistis felt so incredibly happy at the moment. For one thing it was absolutely wonderful to be called by her own name, even if Seifer still called her Cariad on a regular basis. Part of her could hardly believe that this was happening. That someone knew who she was and wasn't using it against her. Of course, that did not mean she was out of the woods yet. The gaes spell had yet to be broken, and Quistis was well aware that until that actually happened she was still stuck with the Carrentes and in danger. But it was more progress than had ever happened before.

Silently slipping back into her mistresses' rooms, Quistis began to go about her daily tasks. She mentally reviewed the girls' schedule. She was not going to be able to slip away again today. Calista and Aurelia were actually not doing much today except for having their wardrobe updated and expanded. Which meant that Quistis would be spending her day sewing for the most part.

What she hadn't expected was all this would end up taking place in Countess Oriana's rooms along with all of the other Carrente girls who had come to Summer Court. It was very clear to her that Oriana was looking at her end game and was not pleased with the progress most of the girls had made. Only one of them had gotten anywhere close to being engaged as of yet, and most were having quite a bit of trouble pursuing their chosen targets. Quistis did her best to not look pleased at that.

Of course, that did mean that most of her day was spent listening to Oriana give instructions to the girls involved. It was very clear that Oriana was done playing around, and she wanted her various relatives betrothed in short order, no matter what they had to do. It made Quistis sick. She wasn't worried about Seifer. She knew him well enough to know that he wasn't about to fall for any of these schemes, and he wasn't about to get involved with anyone except her. But it did make her worried. Maybe she should mention this to Seifer the next time she saw him.

When she finally was released from her duties, Quistis slipped down to the servants' hall to get some dinner. She ate quickly. The young woman had two reasons for that. She wanted to see if she could catch Seifer, and she wanted to slip out to the beach for at least a few moments. The sea was calling her again. Seifer was nowhere obvious when she went looking for him, so Quistis settled for going out to the beach. There were clouds on the horizon, and she knew that a storm would be blowing in soon.

She took a deep breath as the wind whipped around her, feeling her tension ease slightly.

"I was looking for you."

Quistis turned to find Seifer standing behind her. She smiled at him.

"Hey."

He pulled her into his arms. "Hey. Do you have some time?"

"Not much. But I was looking for you as well." She took a deep breath. "The Carrentes are about to up the ante in the courtship arena, and not all of their tactics are exactly above board."

Seifer shook his head. "I'll let Matron and the others know. We'll keep an eye out for trouble. When do you think that you can get away long enough to meet Matron?"

She bit her lip, thinking. "Tomorrow, mid-afternoon, probably. Calista and Aurelia are going on a ride with Rinoa and some of the other ladies. I should have a couple of hours then if we're lucky."

He nodded. "All right. That sounds like a plan. Meet me at my quarters?"

"I can do that."

Smiling, Seifer leaned in a little to kiss her. "Good."

He walked with her back towards the palace, their hands entwined. As they reach the place where they would go their separate ways, Seifer leaned and kissed her again. When he finally pulled away, Quistis found herself breathless. Seifer smiled at her and tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'll see you later, Cariad."

She watched him go before heading back to her mistresses' rooms. Quistis pressed her fingers to her lips gently. Moments like this almost always felt dream like. She had never expected to find anyone like Seifer even when she had been free from the gaes. The man could exasperate her at times, but she had to admit that he also understood her better than many people. They could bicker constantly, and then Seifer would turn around and do something completely delightful for her. She felt like herself with him. Just Quistis, without any of her other baggage.

With a soft sigh she slipped back into Calista and Aurelia's rooms. Neither of her mistresses was present, and Quistis took a few moments to collect herself before finding something to do. She was laying out their nightdresses when Aurelia returned to the room. The girl shot Quistis a smug little smile, and Quistis bit her lip. Something was going on. This was not good.

She helped Aurelia out of her gown and into her nightdress. After hanging up the velvet gown, Quistis moved to take down Aurelia's elaborate hairdo and brush out her hair. When Calista returned shortly after that, Quistis repeated the process with her. Both of the young women were acting smugly superior in a way that sent a shiver up Quistis' spine. Something had changed from this morning. She sought her own bed feeling anxious. She needed tomorrow to go well. It felt like she was running out of time.

The next morning dawned overcast, and Quistis woke feeling nervous and twitchy. She found that she had no appetite and hurried to get her morning chores done. She had just finished helping Calista and Aurelia dress when Oriana swept into the room flanked by two other men. Quistis fought down the urge to run.

"Well, Quisty, it sounds like you've forgotten your place. I am rather disappointed in you."

Someone had noticed her meetings with Seifer. Quistis winced. She hadn't been as careful lately about making sure she hadn't been seen. This was not good at all. Oriana smiled at her.

"I thought you could do with a reminder of just what your role in all of this is. Come here."

Oriana ordered her to stand in place, and then ordered the two men to begin. Quistis closed her eyes, bit her lips, and tried to brace herself. This would not be the first time Oriana had her beaten in punishment, but it had been quite awhile, and she had the feeling that this beating would be worse than normal. She did her best not to give Oriana any satisfaction by vocalizing her pain. Her attackers were good though. When they were done, all of the bruises would be in places easily covered by her servant's livery. No one would be able to tell at a glance that she had been beaten.

Finally the beating ended, and Quistis swayed on her feet. She was going to be useless for the rest of the day. Oriana smirked.

"You will stay in these rooms until Calista and Aurelia return from their ride. Then we'll decide what to do with you. I wonder if his desire to protect his whore might induce Sir Almasy to consider marrying Aurelia. It certainly would be something to consider."

Quistis felt herself go cold. This was not her worse nightmare, but it was close. She did not want to be used as leverage against Seifer, and she especially did not want to be used to force him to marriage. Oriana just smiled.

"Come along, girls. Best not be late."

They swept out of the room leaving Quistis alone and trapped.

* * *

><p>He had begun to be worried thirty minutes after Rinoa and the ladies of the court had left. Quistis should have been here by now. Once Seifer found himself pacing back and forth through his quarters, he decided that he needed to see if he can find her. He knew that most of the Carrentes were out on the ride, so it should be safe enough to go to the wing where they were housed. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, Seifer went alone. If he needed help, he'd get it later, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself.<p>

There did not seem to be anyone much around when he arrived at Aurelia and Calista Carrente's rooms. He knocked softly at the door but got no answer. He tried the doorknob. It wasn't locked. Quickly checking to see if there was anyone else in the hallway who might see him, Seifer slipped inside. He didn't see anyone in the sitting room area of the suite, and there were no sounds either. Seifer headed for the bedrooms.

He would have missed her if she hadn't whimpered. The little alcove where he found Quistis was well hidden. She was on her knees attempting to change her clothes, but what immediately caught his eye were the bruising beginning to form on her back.

"Who the hell did this to you?"

His voice made her jump, and he immediately cursed himself. Any movement probably hurt her. With gentle hands, he raised her to her feet and pulled the shift the rest of the way down. She was swaying slightly on her feet which made him frown.

"We're going to see Matron. Now."

Quistis shook her head, laying a hand on his arm. "I can't leave these rooms. Not without killing myself. I'm trapped here until they get back."

He scowled at that, trying to figure out if he had enough time to run get Matron before the Carrentes got back. He did not think that his lady was up for a confrontation. And he didn't know if she would be here after the Carrentes got back. Something had caused this reaction from them. Carefully, steering her towards one of the padded chairs in the room, Seifer gestured for her to sit.

"What happened?"

She bit her lip, a slow blush spreading across her cheeks. "Someone saw us together and told Oriana. She doesn't know that you know who I am, but she does think that we're lovers."

And she had responded by having Quistis beaten. No wonder his lady had been so secretive. Then he caught the shift of something in her eyes, and his scowl deepened.

"What else?"

Quistis looked away. Seifer gently cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.

"Cariad?"

Her eyes were terrified. "They want to use to me to force you to marry Aurelia. You have to promise that you won't let them succeed. You can't let them trap you too."

His fingers curled around hers. "This is not over yet, Cariad. You are not going to stay bound to them forever. I am going to make sure that you are freed sooner or later."

Before she could protest, Seifer leaned in and kissed her gently. "I love you. I won't let you suffer when I can do something to change it. Do you need anything? I'm going to go get Matron. If we're lucky, we might still have enough time to do something."

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. You'd better hurry. I don't know how much time we have."

Seifer headed for the door. He paused a moment before leaving, turning to look at her.

"Quistis, if you're not here when I come back, I will find you." He held her eyes for a long moment.

She nodded. Seifer left the rooms, waiting until he was out of the wing where the Carrentes were housed before breaking into a run. He needed to find Matron as soon as possible. Thankfully, he had a good idea of where she would be. Still, her solar was almost completely across the palace from where Quistis was. But when he arrived at the solar door, slightly out of breath, Matron immediately knew that something was wrong.

"Seifer?"

"I need you to come with me now, Matron. We don't have much time."

She gracefully rose to her feet. "Is it the girls?"

"Not exactly. I'll explain later."

He led her through the hallways and corridors of the palace as fast as he dared. It would do Quistis no good to attract attention right now. As long as she was under the gaes spell, the Carrentes could make her lie or refuse help. Now that they knew he and Quistis were involved, he wouldn't be surprised if they took steps to make sure that he and Quistis would not be seeing each other again.

Seifer froze as he reached the wing of the palace that Carrentes were housed in. Both Aurelia and Calista were there, dressed in riding habits. He'd run out of time.

"Seifer?" Matron's voice brought him to his senses.

"Just a moment, Matron. I need to check something."

The next ten minutes were the longest in his life. Not in the least that he had to make nice with Aurelia and Calista. By the end of it, Seifer was holding on to his temper with the most tenuous of threads. He returned to Matron seething.

"Let's go back to you solar."

She frowned at him, laying a hand on his arm. "Seifer?"

"We're going to need some privacy."

The trip back to her solar was silent. It wasn't until they were safely inside with the door shut that he began to speak.

"They moved her. I don't know what they've done to her, but they probably haven't kept her alive this long to just kill her now. But they found out that we've been meeting, and I don't know what they'll do to her."

Matron took a seat. "This is your lady and your sorceress we're talking about?"

Seifer nodded.

"Her name is Quistis Cariad Serian. She's Rinoa's cousin. The one you were originally supposed to teach. She's also Idalia's daughter, Matron." He was pacing as he explained.

His foster mother went pale. "You have proof of that? Any of that?"

Seifer nodded. "Of all of that and more. But without her there to confirm all of this, it is useless. They could always produce another servant and have her lie. Or use the gaes to force Quistis to lie. And now I don't know where she is."

Edea wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "We'll find her, Seifer. Tell me everything you know. We'll start from there."

* * *

><p>Quistis hadn't let herself hope when Seifer left. She was pretty sure that her luck had run out. There were a few things that she did want to do though before Oriana came back. She had the feeling that she would not be living in these rooms after today. Moving slowly so not to aggravate her injuries, Quistis crept towards the little alcove that contained all of her possessions. It took her about ten minutes, but she managed to pack her things up in a neat bundle with most of her treasures hidden safely away. The one thing she kept out was the silver and moonstone pendant Seifer had given her.<p>

That she slipped on and hid under her clothes. She wanted it close to her for several reasons. Seifer had given it to her for one. And there was the small chance that because it had been in his possession he could use it to find her. He knew several sorceresses after all. But it was mostly for the comfort of having some sort of touchstone that would connect her to him. Quistis had no doubt that she was not going to like what was to come at all.

Oriana's return along with her bully boys before Seifer managed to come back did not surprise Quistis. She was more or less ready for them and didn't struggle as they escorted her out of Aurelia and Calista's rooms. While Quistis did try to pay attention to just where they were taking her, she eventually lost track. What she did know was that the room she was eventually shoved into was stone with only a small, narrow window. There was a pallet on the floor and that was it. With a sigh, Quistis curled up on the pallet.

There was nothing she could do at the moment. She gently touched the pendant hidden under her shift. All she could do was wait. Either Seifer would find her, or she would figure out some way to contact him. She bit her lip. Her biggest fear was that Oriana would go ahead with the plan of using her to force Seifer to marry Aurelia. It made her sick to think she would be used to trap Seifer like that. She hoped that her warning would be enough to keep him from doing anything stupid like agreeing.

Closing her eyes, Quistis tried to relax. She needed to be ready for whatever happened next and fretting herself into a state would not help her at all. She was not going to let Oriana win this time. The woman had kidnapped her, taken her identity, stolen much of her free will, made her a servant, and kept her prisoner for years. Quistis was not about to let her take Seifer as well. No matter what she had to do in order to prevent that. If Oriana thought she was going to win this time around, she was gravely mistaken.

With a soft sigh, Quistis let sleep claim her. She doubted that she would sleep well, but rest was rest. Even so, she found herself waking up every so often. She tracked the passage of time by the changing light filtering in through her narrow window. She knew she'd been in her all of the morning and most of the afternoon. Part of her was worried about just how long they were going to leave her in here and if they were going to feed her. Part of her was just glad to be left alone. Still, she hated not knowing what was going on.

It was well into the evening when someone finally brought her something to eat. It was just water and rather stale bread, but she ate it anyway. It was maybe an hour later that Oriana finally appeared again. Quistis did not rise to her feet when the woman entered her cell. Moving hurt with all of her bruises, and Quistis was not willing to give Oriana any deference she did not have to. Oriana smirked down at her.

"Well, I do have to admit that you somehow have made quite a conquest. None of the other ladies at court have manage to so much whiff of interest from Sir Almasy. Then again I suppose you do have things to offer him that ladies don't."

Quistis knew she was flushing. Despite the fact that their relationship had not gone beyond kisses and sleeping in the same bed once, she had to admit that she was far more intimate with Seifer than was really proper. Still, despite that she kept her silence. Oriana continued.

"I suppose that shouldn't surprise me. Even so, I'm afraid it won't do you much good. Still, I figure letting you think about it for while can't hurt. Tomorrow, you may be taking a little trip. We'll have to wait and see just how fond Sir Almasy is of you. Mistresses are easy to comes by after all, though admittedly he does seem genuinely attached from my reports." Oriana gave a delicate shrug. "Of course, Rinoa's personal court does seem rather softhearted all around. I suppose that shouldn't surprise me."

Quistis bit back both her anger and her fear. She did not want to antagonize Oriana without purpose. She hurt badly enough after the beating; she didn't need to have Oriana make things worse somehow. Things were bad enough already. Oriana shook her head.

"We'll just have to wait and see how tenderhearted he is." She smiled at Quistis once again. "And don't try to escape. There will be consequences."

Once again Quistis was left on her own with just her thoughts for company. She neatened her pallet slightly before settling to sleep again. It wasn't like there was anything else she could do. Pulling her one blanket up over her shoulders, Quistis closed her eyes. One of her hands wrapped around her pendant, holding it close. She hoped that Seifer had a plan to deal with this. Because if he didn't, she was going top have to do something drastic, and she rather doubted he would like that. Actually, so far all of the drastic plans she had come up with weren't things that she liked very much either. But she wasn't going to let Oriana trap Seifer too, no matter what it took.


	17. Storms and Waves

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

><p><strong>Storms and Waves<strong>

Seifer paced. He couldn't help it. He absolutely hated this. What he wanted to do was storm into Oriana Carrente's rooms and demand that she produce Quistis. That probably wouldn't work, and it could put Quistis in more danger, but that didn't prevent Seifer from wanted to do something. But he didn't know what Oriana had done with Quistis, and this was a battle he probably could not win by force. This was more of a battle of wits and cunning.

And Seifer had to admit that it was not perhaps his best arena. Matron watched him with concern. They had not told anyone else about this yet for several reasons. For one, Seifer could not prove much of it without Quistis present, and given that Quistis being alive at all was likely to be a rather emotional subject for the Galbadian royals, it seemed prudent to try and get Quistis back before bringing in Rinoa and the others.

The message from Oriana had arrived just before the evening meal. Her demands were simple enough. She wanted him to marry Aurelia Carrente. In return, Quistis would be "safe". Though there were no details on just what that safety would mean. At the very least though, it was clear from Oriana's message that she had no idea that Seifer knew who Quisty Trepe really was. That would at least offer Quistis some protection. Seifer had the feeling that Oriana would have a very different reaction if she knew that Seifer was well aware of Quistis' identity. The woman could be tried for a number of crimes due to what she'd done to Quistis, and the fact that Quistis herself was royalty made one of those crimes treason.

"Seifer," Matron's voice made him pause.

He turned to her. "Matron?"

"You're wearing yourself out, Seifer. You won't do your lady any good that way. Sit. We need to discuss our options here."

With a sigh he slumped into a chair. Matron met his eyes with a steady gaze.

"You said that Quistis could reach some of her magic."

"When we were in physical contact. Yes."

Edea nodded. "That's good actually. What we need to do is get the two of you in the same room. With the two of you together, I can disrupt the gaes spell at least temporarily if not permanently. From what you've told me, Oriana is not going to bring Quistis any place where she could be easily noticed or that she could escape from. And she certainly isn't going to want me around. I should ask, does your Quistis seem to have any affinities at all?"

It wasn't a surprising question. Most sorceresses had some sort of affinity. But he'd never really seen Quistis work magic, and the only thing he could think of was the fact that she was always drawn to the sea. That didn't necessarily have anything to do with her magic though.

"I don't know."

"Pity." Edea pursed her lips. "Well, that's one thing we can't use. Now, what sort of reply do you think we need to make to get them to bring Quistis with them when you meet, and what are they expecting from you? I'd like to surprise them at least."

They spent several hours making and discarding any number of plans. This was a battlefield that Seifer was not familiar with, but at least the act of making battle plans was familiar. And focusing on that kept his mind from completely running wild with thoughts of what the Carrentes might have done to Quistis in the meantime. The biggest problem was one of timing. Matron needed some time to put together a few things, and Seifer did not want this to wait too long. For one thing, he was afraid that if he waited too long, the Carrentes might decide that he wasn't that interested in Quistis and do something else with her.

"Seifer."

Matron's gentle voice made him look up. She caught his eyes, holding his gaze with her own.

"We will get her back. It just may take some time. Now write the note."

He nodded and sat down at the table. It took Seifer several drafts before he came up with something that both he and Matron agreed would do the trick. It was sent off to Oriana via a page, and all that was left was to wait for the appointed time. The gist of the note had been that Seifer wanted both to hash out the details of the deal in person and to see Quisty in person to assure that she was unharmed. He had set up the meeting for this evening; Seifer hadn't wanted to wait any longer than that. Besides, there was something about the timing that felt right. It was more of a gut feeling than anything else, but Seifer was going to trust it.

So after being ordered by Matron to stop pacing, Seifer found himself perched in one of the windows, watching as a storm rolled it. It looked like it was going to be a bad one, but Seifer couldn't bring himself to care. The storm fit his mood. Watching it approach was a decent enough distraction from waiting. Matron had disappeared back to her own rooms; she had wanted to prepare a few things. Seifer didn't entirely know what she had planned, but he trusted to her to have some sort of plan. It wasn't long before lightening and thunder could be seen and heard. A downpour started soon after. Seifer stared out the window, not really seeing what was in front of him.

"Seifer?"

Matron had returned. She held something in her hands.

"These will have to do for now. What we really need to do is get the two of you together long enough to properly form your bond. Once that bond is sealed, I'm not sure anything could really separate you. It will definitely disrupt her gaes to some extent. It could possibly completely break it as well." She held out a pair of simple pendants, struck on silk cords. "Shielding spells. Between those and you two in physical contact, it should disrupt things long enough to get her away from the Carrentes. I don't know enough about the gaes to figure out a permanent shield right now, but once you get her to me, I should be able to put together something more permanent."

"Thank you, Matron." He took the two amulets.

"I want you to be happy, Seifer." She kissed his forehead. "You have an hour before it's time. Get some rest. I think you are going to need your strength."

He sighed. He rather doubted that he was going to get any rest between now and then. Matron gave him a look.

"You won't do anyone any good if you're not at the top of your game. I don't think we're going to get second chances in this."

Seifer sighed again. Matron was right as usual. Still, he had the feeling that this was going to be the longest hour of his life.

* * *

><p>Quistis was ready when they came for her. She didn't actually know why they'd come to get her, but she'd made plans of her own. She couldn't stay here. Not when she knew she was going to be used to blackmail Seifer into something. So she had made plans of her own. There just might be a window of opportunity when Oriana's guards came to get her. As long as none of them were Carrentes themselves, they could not use her gaes against her. Which meant if she could get away from them, she would be free for at least a little while. Maybe long enough to do something.<p>

So she waited. It was something she was good at. When she heard the tread of feet outside her little cell, Quistis was ready. She let the two men pull her to her feet and take her out of the room. She let them lead her down the corridors without any resistance. The heavy rain outside the building was not something that Quistis was really expecting; she had heard the sound of rain earlier when it started, but she hadn't realized it was a storm in full force. Not that it really mattered. In fact, in some ways it made things easier for her.

She waited until they were out in the rain, crossing towards the servants' entrance. Then Quistis attacked. Her guards were not expecting that at all. Their surprise worked in her favor. And once Quistis was free of them, she ran. There was not a destination in mind. She just needed to get away and to lose her pursuers. Thankfully, between the fact that she had grown up around this particular palace and she had been working here for the past few weeks, she knew how to disappear amidst the various halls and corridors very well. She did not venture inside the palace though, sticking to the outer walk ways and corridors. A soaking wet servant girl would attack attention inside.

Her plan was to head to the beach. Given the storm that was going on, it was not the safest place to be, but that was its advantage. She knew that bit of coastline well enough to stay out of trouble, and she didn't think that her pursuers would risk it. Once she had lost them, she could make her way inside the palace and find Seifer. The stone of the terrace and stairs down to the beach were slippery, and she slid and nearly lost her balance several times before falling the last few feet to the beach.

Quistis' hands scrabbled at the wet sand as she struggled to her feet. She was bruised, but she couldn't stop now. She could still hear footsteps following her. Taking off across the sand, Quistis kept as far away from the water as possible. The waves were wild and far larger than normal. Spotting a stand of driftwood close to the bluff, Quistis made for it, ducking behind the wood and crouching down to be out of sight. Between the dark from the storm and the wild waves, she did not like that her pursuers would make a through search. With any luck, they would believe she had killed herself.

She didn't know how long she crouched on the cold, wet sand. She knew she had to be completely soaked to the bone, but she could not risk being caught when she tried to make her way back to the palace. Finally, long after the last of the footsteps had disappeared, she carefully crept out of hiding. The beach was empty. Quistis let out a soft sigh of relief and made her way towards the staircase. She was limping and sore all over, but she knew she couldn't give up now. Not when she was close.

It took her far longer than normal to climb up the staircase to the castle. The wind was working against her, and it hurt to move. But Quistis knew if she stopped now, she would never get to her destination. Oriana probably had some way to tell that she was still alive, and that meant there would still be people looking for her. Finally making it the castle, Quistis slipped inside into one of the servants' corridors. She took a moment to catch her breath and tried to make up her mind about what to do next. She could either run, try to get as far away from Oriana as she could and see if that would let her truly escape. Or she could go to Seifer and trust that he had figured out a way to break the gaes and risk failure and being used as a weapon against him.

Her head told her it would be safer to run. To keep going and not look back. It would be safer for Seifer as well. She could not be used against him if Oriana did not have her. Even if she was captured again, it would probably be too late to force Seifer into anything then. But that would also mean giving up Seifer as well. Because if she got cleanly away from Oriana, Quistis did not think it would be safe to come back. At least not until she found a way to break the geas herself. If she ever found a way to do so. Quistis hesitated. Running might be the smart thing to do, but she wasn't sure that she could bring herself to do so. Besides, if she ran, Oriana won.

And Quistis was not willing to let Oriana win this time. So once she caught her breath, she limped towards the Royal Wing. She was shivering now and had to bite her lip in order to keep her teeth from chattering. She was lucky not to run into any other servants. That definitely would have caused questions that she really did not want to answer. Her hand hesitated as she grasped the doorknob to Seifer's suite. She really should knock. She did not even know if he was in there. But she was afraid if she stopped now, she would run. Opening the door, she slipped inside.

"Oh."

Quistis started at the soft voice, her hands scrabbling for the doorknob. But the dark haired women sitting at the table in Seifer's sitting area was one her feet and reaching out for her before Quistis could get the door open.

"What have they done to you, sweetheart? Never mind," she shook her head. "Into the bath with you. You have to be freezing. Seifer should be back soon enough, and we can deal with things then. I'll find something for you to change into. The bath is just through there."

The next thing she knew Quistis had been hustled into the bathtub and was up to her neck in hot water. Seifer's foster mother, because Quistis didn't think that the woman could be anyone else, drifted in and out of the room. She was almost a soothing presence. Almost since while Quistis knew the woman wasn't going to hurt her, she was Seifer's foster mother, and she might very well decide that she did not approve of Quistis as a proper partner for Seifer. She seemed willing to help Quistis now, but that did not mean she approved of Quistis.

Warm and clean and wrapped in a warm robe that smelled like Seifer, Quistis found herself ensconced in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea in her hands. With a warm little fire burning in the hearth beside, Quistis was finally feeling warm. Edea had fussed over her quite a bit, and while Quistis did not exactly feel safe yet, she was no longer on edge and panicking. She was a little disconcerted by just how closely Edea Kramer was studying her. Finally, the older woman just shook her head.

"You look so much like your mother. Except for your eyes. You must have gotten those from your father." The woman sighed. "I wish I could have met him. It's good to know Idalia was happy though.'

Quistis started. "You knew my mother?"

Edea nodded. "We grew up together. When she disappeared, I was the last to give up searching for her. I always believed she was still alive some where."

She opened her mouth to ask another question about her mother when Seifer came storming in the door.

* * *

><p>Furious at Oriana's stalling, Seifer practically threw the door to his chambers open. The first thing he saw was Quistis seated by the fire wrapped up in his robe. Without even thinking about, he crossed the room and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight.<p>

"You're safe. I knew she had to be lying." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm not letting you go again."

"Right then," Matron's voice cut through the moment. "We need to get to work on that gaes. Do you still have the talismans?"

He nodded, pulling them out of his pocket.

"Good. Put them on. Now."

It only took a moment to slip the silk cord over Quistis' head. He put the other one on himself. Seifer still wasn't sure why he needed to be shielded as well, but he wasn't going to question Matron on this. She nodded at them.

"Good. I'll have something hot sent up for the two of you. Quistis is clearly exhausted, and she'll need to be rested if we're going to try and break the gaes. With the shielding spells, you two should be fine for at least the evening."

Edea swept out the room before he could even respond to that. Then he was alone with Quistis. She leaned into his embrace, hiding her face against his shoulder.

"Cariad?"

"I'm all right." Her voice was muffled by his shoulder.

Seifer freed one of his hands so he could tip her face up. It looked like she'd been crying, but her smile was real. He leaned in to kiss her.

"How did you get away?"

Quistis' smile grew. "Oriana's guards aren't very intelligent."

Seifer steered the two of them over towards the couch. He tugged Quistis into his lap. He rather doubted he'd be willing to let her out of arm's reach for awhile. Quistis didn't seem to mind though. She snuggled into his arms and rest her head against his chest. Seifer couldn't think of anything to say. He had questions, yes, and any number of things that he wanted to tell her, but it seemed like none of that was important now. He just wanted to stay here in this little bubble where his Cariad was safe in his arms and they had nothing to worry about. At least for the moment.

Quistis let out a soft little sigh, but before Seifer could ask what was wrong, a servant arrived with a tray bearing dinner. The servant quickly departed, and the two of them separated and settled in to eat. It was a simple meal, a hearty stew and bread, but it was both warm and soothing. Seifer watched almost amused as Quistis practically attacked her food. He wasn't entirely sure what she'd been through since he'd last seen her, but he could tell it had been at least a bit of an ordeal. And the bruises on her skin worried him.

Once the meal was finished, Seifer decided that they weren't going to be able to accomplish anything more tonight. The storm outside was still raging full force, and his lady looked like she was about to fall over.

"Come on, Cariad. Bed time. We'll deal with the rest of this tomorrow."

Without thinking about it, she let him lead her to his bed and crawled in. It didn't take Seifer long to change into a night shirt and join her in bed. Quistis curled up beside him, cuddled up against his side her head resting on his shoulder. He slid his arm around her shoulders and closed his eyes. With his lady snuggled beside him safe and sound, sleep wasn't hard to find.

He woke to Matron standing over him with a worried smile on her face. Quistis was still fast asleep.

"Seifer? I need you to wake up. We haven't got much time.'

"Matron?"

Beside him, Quistis began to stir.

"Oriana's changed her plan of attack. We need to start working on the gaes now."

That got his attention. Quistis made a sleepy noise.

"Seifer?"

He smiled at her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Wake up, Cariad. We've got to get to work."

She sat up, frowning. "Oriana?"

"Yes."

"Right."

It didn't take long for the three of them to assembling in the sitting area of the suite. Matron looked at the two of them.

"I don't know quite how complicated this will be. Gaes spells are rare, and I've never heard of a sorceress under one who wasn't already bonded. I am pretty sure that completing the sorceress-knight bond will at least lessen the gaes if not break it all together."

Quistis blinked slightly. "What do we need to do in order to complete this bond?"

Matron smiled. "Actually, it is simple enough. What takes time is having the bond settle between the pair of you. There really are no formalized words or set elements. It is mostly just an acknowledgement between the pair of you of the bond and your acceptance of that. The larger issue is that once the bond is accepted by both of you, it does take some time to, well, set is the best word to describe the process I suppose. And until that happens, you both are rather vulnerable to magical attacks."

Seifer nodded. "Right. Let's get this done, and then you can tell us what Oriana had done now."

He took both of Quistis' hands in his own and calmly met her eyes. He had known that this was coming sooner or later in their future. And he knew what he wanted to say.

"Quistis Cariad Serian, I pledge to you my services as your knight, your sword and shield. You have held my heart safe in your hands, and I pledge to do the same for you. I love you, Cariad, and I will not let you go."

Her grip on his hands tightened as she held his gaze. Quistis voice was soft, and Seifer doubted that anyone save himself could hear it. But it was steady and confident as she spoke.

"You won my trust and gave me back hope. You were the first person in years to actually see me not just the servant who I was supposed to be. You did not steal my heart, Seifer, I gave it to you, and I trust you enough to protect both it and me. And I'm stubborn enough to insist on protecting you just the same."

Seifer really did not know what exactly he was expecting. This was not anything like the time when Ultimecia had had tried to force him to become her knight. But there was a sense of rightness and an awareness of Quistis that had not been there before. A soft startled noise escaped Quistis' lips. Matron sighed softly.

"I would love to let you two bask in this for a while, but we simply do not have time. Quistis, could you take off the shielding talisman please?"

Quistis pulled the pendant over her head and handed it to Matron.

"How do you feel?"

His lady paused a moment before answering. "Better than normal. I can't feel the pressure of the gaes like a normally do, but my magic feels weak and sluggish. I can touch it though."

"Good. That's what I was expecting." Matron smiled. "I don't think you'll be completely free of the gaes' effects until your bond with Seifer is completely formed. Now, about Oriana."

Seifer had a sinking feeling. "What has she done now?"

Matron pursed her lips and looked at him worriedly. I do not completely know. I know that she is bringing a complaint at court today. I think we will need you both there."

Quistis looked pale. "She's going to try and force Seifer to marry Aurelia. She's got something she's going to use to make Uncle Caraway enforce that."

Seifer reached for her hand, holding it tightly. "That's not going to happen. I won't let it."

"I think we can prevent it," Matron said. "I need you both to wash and dress for court. I'll send my maid to help Quistis. Be as quick as possible. I don't think we have much time. If need be, Quistis can join us later, but you have to be there at the start of the court session, Seifer."

As she began to sweep out of the room Matron paused and looked at Quistis.

"Can you tell me your name? Your real name."

Quistis opened her mouth but then shook her head. "No. But I almost could."

Matron sighed. "We'll have to hope that the as your bond sets, you will be able to do more. I don't know how long we can stall today."

* * *

><p>Seifer bathed first. He was quicker than she was, and if need be, that way he could leave for court before her. He left the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.<p>

"Your turn. There's a pair of court dresses hanging up in my closet for you." He leaned in a kissed her. "Don't look so worried, Cariad. Oriana is not going to win this time."

She wished she felt so confident. Not even the luxury of the bathroom could make her stop worrying so much. She had never fought Oriana and won. Her defiances had always been small things, won mostly because Oriana did not know about them. Even her relationship with Seifer had happened mostly because Quistis had managed to keep it a secret until recently. She did not know that she could do this. She was feeling better and freer now. That much was true, but she could not yet speak her true name out loud, and that seemed to be a distinct disadvantage. So she worried her way through her washing. It took some time, despite her efforts to hurry, but she was not about to face the Royal Court without feeling completely clean.

When Quistis left the bathroom, wrapped in Seifer's robe once again, she found Seifer dressed in formal court attire and looking far more imposing than she had ever seen before. But there was a familiar light in his eyes and he smiled when he saw her. He leaned in to kiss her once again.

"I've been summoned, so I have to go. But Matron's maid is here to help you. There's a court dress for you laid out on the bed and some jewelry. It's your mother's. I hope you don't mind." He held her gaze with his. "I love you, Quistis Cariad Serian, and I will never give you up. Remember that."

And with that he was gone, and she was left at the mercy of the maid. The woman was brisk and efficient, and she clearly knew what she was doing. It was just as well. She had frozen when she saw the beautiful dress laid out for her. The court gown was of a pale blue grey silk and was in the latest style. She had to blink back tears when she saw the gold and opal jewelry. She remembered her mother wearing it for the most formal of occasions. Before Quistis really knew what was happening, she found herself wearing the gown and the jewelry, with only her hands bare of any ornament. Her long hair had been dried and combed out straight, falling down past her waist and her mother's diadem sat atop her head. The woman who stared back at her in the mirror looked like a princess save for the expression on her face.

Quistis shook her head in disbelief. Now she could see why Edea had been so reminded of her mother. She had not realized just how much she looked like her mother. Edea's maid smiled at her.

"Now you look like a proper Centran sorceress, miss. No wonder Lady Edea and Sir Seifer were fussed over a proper introduction at court." The woman gave a satisfied nod. "Now, off you go. Sir Seifer was in a flap about making sure that you got to court on time."

The maid flapped a hand at her. Quistis gathered herself and then set off. At least she knew where she was going. She did her best to remember how to walk like a lady. If they were to succeed, she needed to present herself to the Royal Court as a princess, rather than the servant girl she had spent the past years being. It was harder to refute her claims when she looked and acted like a princess as well as claimed to be one. Her fingers crept up to grip the opal pendant that she wore. Her mother's pendant.

Quistis straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. She was Princess Quistis Cariad Serian, and it was about time that she acted like it. She was through with letting Oriana Carrente dictate her life for her, and for the first time in years, Quistis had the ability to fight Oriana in a meaningful way.

Despite all of this, Quistis still hesitated when she came to the doors that lead to the Great Hall. Once she stepped in to that room, there was no going back. Quistis had no doubt that even if she made a discreet entrance, her presence was going to attract attention. But she was more afraid of backing down now. So she slipped into the room doing her best not to attract too much attention. Not yet.

She wished she and Seifer had had a chance to discuss a strategy of some sort. She did not know what Seifer had planned, and he knew this court far better than she did. She did not want to make things more difficult unintentionally. Then again, for all she knew, Seifer expected her to make an unforgettable entrance. She just didn't know.

Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, Quistis did her best to blend in with the crowd as she made her way towards the dais where her uncle and cousin sat. They were not alone on the dais either. Selphie stood at Rinoa's side, looking concerned. A tall man stood behind her, Sir Kinneas if Quistis remembered correctly. Sir Leonhart stood at Rinoa's left, looking stoic and imposing. Seifer stood on the other side of her uncle and slightly in front of him. Seifer did not look relaxed, but he did not look all that defensive either. She took that as a good sign.

It took a little work, but Quistis managed to find a place where she was close to the dais and could see and hear everything, but so she was not standing in front of everything. Nor could she be easily seen by those on the dais which was just as well for Oriana and Aurelia stood there as well. She was not ready for them to see her yet. Oriana was speaking.

"Your Majesty, Sir Almasy has been sneaking around with Lady Aurelia ever since the Summer Court started without so much as a work to her family or any sort of promise on his part. I demand that he formally make an offer for her hand. He has already tarnished her reputation badly enough."

Uncle Caraway gave Seifer a serious look. "Do you deny these accusations, Sir Almasy?"

Seifer shrugged slightly. "I do not deny that I have been seeing a lady without a chaperone or observing proper courting behavior. However, the lady in question is not Lady Aurelia Carrente, and I have every intention of marrying her, though it is true that I have not proposed to my lady as of yet."

"Is there a particular reason for your lack of proposal at this time?" Her uncle wanted to know.

Seifer met the king's gaze steadily. "Yes. There are a few obstacles yet to work out before I can properly ask for her hand, and had I mentioned my intentions earlier, it is very likely I would have scared her off."

"I see." King Caraway steepled his fingers together.

"Lies!" Exclaimed Oriana, who sounded every inch the hysterical matron; Quistis knew it was an act. "You note how he does not give this lady's name or produce her. One of my house magicians has proved a truth potion. I demand that Sir Almasy take and speak the truth. See if his story stays the same then."

Quistis' mind immediately flashed to when she had been bound by the gaes spell. The idea of Seifer anywhere near one of Oriana's magicians or anything they made sent her into a panic. She did not know what the potion that Oriana had might do to Seifer, but she was not about to risk it, and she acted without thinking first.

"There is no need for that," her voice rang out in the room, causing those closest to her to look in her direction. "I am the lady in question."

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. The people in between her and the dais moved away as she walked toward it. Quistis had locked eyes with Seifer and was holding his gaze with her own. She was afraid to look at any one else. It would not take much at this point to send her in to a panic. Because once every eye had turned on her, Quistis had realized what she had just done and there was no taking it back. Seifer's eyes were warm and steady, which helped calm her, and the bond between them thrummed with reassurance. Those were the only things that kept her from bolting.

As she stepped on to the dais, there was complete silence in the room.

* * *

><p>Seifer had barely arrived in the antechamber where Rinoa's court had gathered before he was set upon by his friends. All of them were concerned, and Seifer finally got a better picture of just why Matron had been in such a flap this morning. Oriana was accusing him of sneaking with Aurelia. She had not outright said that Seifer had been tumbling Oriana, but it was very clearly implied. She was going to force a marriage between the two of them by making a public outcry over Aurelia's ruined reputation and marriagability.<p>

There were, of course, several problems with this plan of Oriana's. One of them was he could truthfully say that he had never spent time alone with Aurelia. Another issue was the fact that if she tried to force him to speak under a truth spell about what he had been doing, the results would be very badly in her favor. There were mages at court capable of casting a truth spell if Oriana insisted on an impartial party rather than Matron or Rinoa, and so either way, he was not all that concerned.

His main concerns about all of this were for Quistis. This was going to be very public and very messy most likely. His lady had been through enough without the added pressure of returning to her home and family with an audience. Seifer had no doubt that there would be quite a bit of uproar over her reappearance. There were going to be people that didn't believe she was who she claimed to be. There were going to be questions and long answers, and she would relay not have any sort of proper homecoming with her family until later. And throughout it all, Quistis was going to have to keep her composure. With the Royal Court, the front that she presented would make a large difference in how she was perceived.

It did not help that Seifer was well aware that his lady was still rather terrified of Oriana Carrente. He could not exactly blame her. The woman had controlled just about every aspect of his Cariad's life for years. And it was clear that she was not above using physical force in order to control Quistis either. She hid it well, but Seifer knew that she was bruised almost head to toe from her recent beating, though he did have the sneaking suspicion that Matron might have cast a slow healing on her. Quistis might be ready to fight her captor, but that did not mean that she was over her fear of the woman. And if Oriana caught on to that, she might be able to use it against Quistis.

As they entered the Great Hall, Seifer scanned the crowd of nobles, looking for his lady. He was fairly certain she would chose to blend in amongst the other nobles as best she could rather than making a grand entrance. He did not spot her immediately, which worried him. While Seifer knew that it took time to dress for court sessions, he would feel better once she was here. He did not like being separated from her, and while he could sense her slightly through their strengthening bond, it was not quite the same as being able to see that she was there in front of him and safe.

And unfortunately, Seifer was not given the opportunity to wait until she arrived before dealing with Countess Oriana Carrente of Aviemore. It seemed that she was not even going to give him the courtesy of letting court get under way before kicking up a fuss. She was going to make this issue the only thing that anyone at court was going to talk about today. Seifer bit back a sigh. But it was a battle he had been willing to take on from the start, so Seifer squared his shoulders and faced it head on.

He was not terribly surprised by the accusations thrown at him by Oriana, thanks to Matron's warnings, and he faced them with cool aplomb. He gave vague answers on purpose. For one thing, he was not going to out Quistis until she was there to speak for himself. For another, Oriana would know who he was talking about, but no one else did, and Seifer wanted Oriana to be very clear just where he stood on the matter, but they really did not need to air all of the dirty laundry publically. Some of that would be happening soon enough.

Oriana's truth potion came as a surprise. Seifer very much doubted that it really a truth potion, and he was not about to drink it until a mage he trusted had verified it was what she claimed it was, but Quistis herself decided to interfere at that point.

"There is no need for that," her voice rang out, calm and clear. "I am the lady in question."

Nearly every eye in the room turned on Quistis, with people craning their heads and jostling for a view of who had spoken. People were openly staring at her. Seifer didn't exactly blame them. Quistis looked every inch the princess she was and every inch the sorceress. At this point, the Galbadian Court knew what her diadem and pendant signified. They were probably all wracking their brains in order to try and figure out who she was. There were not that many sorceresses in the world after all and even fewer young sorceresses. Seifer caught Quistis' gaze and held it. He tried to send reassurance across their bond to sooth the nervousness he saw there.

The crowd parted and there was silence as Quistis walked towards him. Part of it was that everyone was curious as to who could have attracted Seifer's attention like this. But he also was fairly certain that older members of the court were remembering another young sorceress, one who had married Prince Derek all those years ago and whose daughter looked remarkably like her.

Oriana was barely keeping her composure. Her eyes were dark with anger, and Seifer had no doubt that things were about to get ugly.

"And just who are you?" Oriana demanded. "A common trollop dressed up in fancy clothes most likely."

Quistis gave Oriana a look that was cool and disdainful. "We both know that to be untrue, but I will indulge you. Not that it matters one way or the other. Sir Almasy is my knight, and being a sorceress confers its own rank. Especially being a Centran sorceress from the Llewellyn Clan."

And that was when Seifer realized just how dangerous a situation they were in. Quistis was an untrained or barely trained sorceress coming into her full powers for the first time in years in a situation where she would most likely feel threatened. It probably was not a question of if her magic broke out but when. And at this point, Seifer still needed physical contact with Quistis in order to help her control the magic when it broke out. And everyone here knew just how devastating the power of an out of control sorceress could be.

Seifer shifted a little closer to Quistis. Oriana was between them at this point, and he wanted to rectify that before the power that he could feel building. There were some soft murmurs amongst the rest of the nobles. Everyone here had heard of the Llewellyn Clan, though it was commonly believed that the line had died out with the disappearance of Idalia Llewellyn. Then again, the Galbadians had never realized that Princess Idalia was Idalia Llewellyn. Oriana glared at his lady.

"That does not tell us who exactly you are."

Seifer could see what Oriana was trying to do. She was trying to goad Quistis into trying to say her own name. It was clear that she believed that Quistis was still bound by the gaes. And there was the chance that she was. While their bond was growing stronger by the moment, Seifer was aware that it was not fully formed yet, and he did not know just how much Quistis could do until it was at full strength.

But Quistis smiled triumphantly at the woman. "I am Quistis Cariad Serian, daughter of Prince Derek Serian of Galbadia and his lady wife, Princess Idalia Llewellyn Serian."

There had been a catch in her voice when she spoke, and she had almost sounded breathless at times, but she had said. And that was what broke open the storm that had been brewing all this time.


	18. Breaking Wave

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU.

* * *

><p><strong>Breaking Wave<strong>

There was silence for exactly one moment, and then the noise in the room was deafening. Seifer used the moment of confusion to link his fingers with Quistis'. As long as they were in physical contact, he shouldn't have to worry about her power breaking out and causing problems. Because was the last thing they needed right now.

"Silence!" King Caraway's command had some effect, though there were still murmurs throughout the hall.

Seifer squeezed his Cariad's hand gently as the king turned his gaze on her.

"That is a very serious claim you are making."

"I wouldn't make it if it was not true," she replied. Seifer could hear the unspoken 'Uncle' at the end of her sentence.

"I see." Caraway seemed to be mulling this over for several moments. "I believe that the truth of this claim must be settled before any thing else about this situation can be. If the inner court, Countess Oriana, Lady Aurelia, and the sorceress will join me in my study."

Seifer smiled grimly. On the one hand, he knew that having less of an audience would make Quistis much more comfortable. She did not like being on display. But if they were in private, Oriana could be much nastier than she could in a public theater. And Seifer didn't know how much Quistis could take right now. This was already a stressful situation, and there was the fact that she really didn't have any training with her powers. With Seifer there, nothing too catastrophic could happen, but he doubted that it would make the coming confrontation any easier.

He kept her hand in his as they entered the study. Seifer wanted to make it perfectly clear where he stood in this mess. His place was at Quistis' side, even if it set him against Caraway and his court. Seifer didn't think that would end up being the case, but one never really knew. He led her over to one of the more comfortable chairs and seated her there before taking up a position standing at her right hand. He left their fingers twined together.

King Caraway took this in with a raised eyebrow as he settled behind his desk. The others took up positions around the room, and it was fairly easy for Seifer to read where they stood. Rinoa had taken a seat close to her father's desk but on the same side of the room as Quistis and Seifer. Squall had taken up a position that mirrored Seifer's own, standing beside Rinoa. Selphie sat down on the rug at Rinoa's feet while Irvine stood on the other side of Rinoa's chair. Zell stood beside Irvine. Edea had seated herself within arm's reach of Quistis, and between her and Oriana. Oriana and Aurelia stood alone on the other side of the room with two of Oriana's personal retainers.

Quistis' nervousness was clear through their bond, but Seifer was pleased to see that she looked calm to the outward eye. Caraway steepled his fingers together, looking at the pair of them.

"As I see it, there are several issues that need to be addressed here. You have made two claims about you identity, young lady, that are both highly controversial. First, there is your claim of being a member of the Llewellyn Clan. My understanding was that the last member of that particular clan disappeared years before your birth."

It was Matron who responded to that. "I would say with certainty that she is a Llewellyn. As you know, I was raised by part of the family, and my foster sister was the only remaining member after the Sorceress War. This young woman is identical to Idalia save for the color of her eyes and the fact that her hair is a darker blond. I can hardly think that a sorceress who looks identical to a Llewellyn Clan member appearing is mere coincidence."

"And you are absolutely sure that this young woman is a sorceress?" the king asked.

Matron just nodded. "Yes. More powerful than Rinoa actually. She's just not been trained, and her magic has been suppressed since adolescence. Quite frankly, we're lucky nothing untoward has happened."

That made Caraway arch an eyebrow. He was well aware of just what could happen when a sorceress was untrained. Rinoa's powers had caused all sorts of trouble when they had first surfaced. And Matron was right. They had been extremely lucky that Quistis' own magic hadn't burst out in a way that had harmed any one. That was probably the only good thing about the gaes she had been under.

"I see. That brings us to your second claim."

Seifer could feel Quistis' fear as she started to speak. "I can tell you the names of all of Selphie's dolls. I can tell you where Rinoa used to hide all of her hair ribbons that she didn't like. I can name every horse that I ever had. What do you need me to answer that will prove to you who I am, Uncle?"

Caraway looked stricken. It was clear that he really hadn't held any hope that his niece was still alive. Or that he might ever find her again. Finally he spoke again.

"What happened when Lord Martine's son cut Selphie's hair?"

Seifer's eyebrows raised. This was a story he hadn't heard before. But he could feel Quistis' smug satisfaction through their bond and his lady's lips had curved in to a grin.

"I broke the little bastard's nose, and you fired the nanny who let it happen. Selphie wouldn't come out of her room for nearly a week, and she ended up wearing her hair short ever since."

He didn't know how to read the look on Caraway's face. At least, until he turned his gaze on Oriana and Aurelia. That was an expression that Seifer had only seen a few times before. All of them had been when some one had put Rinoa or Selphie's lives in danger. Someone had threatened one of his girls, and they were not going to get away with it.

"Countess Oriana, I believe that you informed me that her highness never arrived at your estate. And yet you clearly know this young woman. Don't bother to deny it. You may have leaved some nasty accusations at her, but you have never acted surprised at her existence."

Seifer had to give the woman credit. There was barely a flicker in Oriana's expression as she replied.

"Your Majesty, this is ridiculous. The girl is a servant by the name of Quisty Trepe. She is simply trying to take advantage of you."

"I see. I thank you for your opinion. If you will be so kind as to wait in the antechamber." It was clear from the king's tone that this was not a request, and Seifer was not at all surprised to see that they were escorted out by quite a few guards.

Once they were gone, Caraway turned his attention back to Quistis.

Caraway's voice was gentle when he spoke again. "Quistis, my dear, I need you to tell us what happened to you and where you've been."

* * *

><p>All of the relief of establishing who she really was vanished at the idea of having to explain every thing. She didn't want them to know what she'd been through. She didn't want Rinoa and Selphie to the details of the whole ordeal. It was partly her older sister instinct wanting to protect the two younger girls. And it was partly fear. She didn't know how they would react. She didn't know if they changed over the years. If they would blame her for not being able to escape or not realizing just how much trouble she was in. It was one thing to have Seifer know. He hadn't known her before. Her past hadn't mattered to him except in that she had become trapped by Oriana during it. Seifer had no expectations of her based on her past. Rinoa and Selphie and everyone else she had known before might have expected more from her.<p>

She hadn't realized that she was shaking until Seifer's hands came around her and his voice was soft in her ears.

"It's all right, Cariad. The gaes is broken. It won't hurt you to speak."

She hadn't even thought of that aspect. Seifer was kneeling in front of her, blocking out everyone else in the room.

"You're not going to get in trouble for telling us. It doesn't matter what happened. We just need to know so Oriana can be charged with the full extent of her crimes. We're noting going to let her hurt anyone again."

Quistis gripped his hands tightly, trying to let the comfort he was projecting through their bond wash over her. She met Seifer's eyes. Focusing on them, she started to speak, pretending it was just the two of them. It was easier that way. She had known that sooner or later she would have ended up telling him the whole story. Seifer could be persistent when he wanted something as she well knew, and she needed to tell someone.

Slowly, the story began to spill out. Quistis glossed over a few of the details, mostly because she didn't think that her daily routines at the Carrente estate were that important and didn't exactly want to share all the private moments she and Seifer shared. Seifer actually helped tell his side of things since meeting her which was some thing of a relief. Even so, it seemed like ages before she could finally stop talking. For a moment there was silence in the room. Then Quistis found herself nearly knocked over by the force of Rinoa's hug.

Her cousin's embrace seemed to cut the tension in the room. The next thing Quistis knew she'd been pulled out of her chair, so that Selphie and Rinoa could both hug her at the same time. A quick glance around the room showed her Seifer talking softly with Sir Leonhart. Before she could really take in more than that, the young woman found herself wrapped in her uncle's arms. She could hear his voice, though she was rather sure that he hadn't intended to.

"I'm so sorry, dear heart. I'd though we'd lost you. I thought you were gone. If I'd known. We would have come for you. I never would have let them keep you if we had known…"

It took several minutes for everyone to calm down and the emotion in the room to dissipate some what. Quistis' uncle let out a sigh.

"I realize that we have much catching up to do. However, there is the matter of the rest of the court to deal with. We're going to have to go out there and deal with them before anything else can happen."

Rinoa made a face and shook out her skirts. "You're right unfortunately. It's a good thing that it's only Summer Court. Let's get this over with."

It took them a few moments to get organized, and Quistis was thankful that she remembered her etiquette lessons. She and Seifer took up their positions behind Rinoa and Sir Leonhard as the group returned to the main hall. That alone would speak volumes about what had happened behind closed doors. Seifer gently squeezed her arm, and she could feel reassurance and comfort flowing across their bond. He at least was used to this. Quistis was not, and she was nervous. But she had already faced these people once today, and they could not be worse than facing down Oriana.

It could, however, be far more boring. Her uncle had made a brief announcement verifying Quistis' identity and welcoming her home along with a mention of Oriana's arrest. And then he had gone on to conduct business as usual for a Court Session. Which as it turned out was immensely boring when you had to just sit there and listen to it. Quistis had quickly given up on understanding most of it. She was woefully out of date when it came to her political knowledge, and this was probably not the time to try and catch up.

Finally, they were finished, and the group headed back to the king's study. Rinoa sank into one of the chairs and kicked her shoes off.

"Well, that's done with. Now we just have to get Quistis settled and every thing sorted out. I think there's a suite of rooms we can set you up in near mine, and it shouldn't take long for the seamstresses to put together a wardrobe for you. We'll have to have some sort of formal event to reintroduce you to the court and catch you up on current politics."

Quistis blinked, beginning to feel more than a little overwhelmed. Rinoa just kept talking.

"We'll also have to figure out what to do about Seifer since he can't very well remain the Duke of Caledonia when the rightful claimant is alive. And of course there will need to be announcement and celebration of the two of yours betrothal."

"I haven't actually asked Cariad yet, Rinoa," Seifer grumbled. "Don't get ahead of yourself. Besides, I think that both magic lessons and catching up with current events takes precedents right now."

Quistis let out a soft sigh of relief. "He's right. I haven't really interacted with people in years. I'm afraid that I am not going to be up to dealing with more than a few people at once right now."

Rinoa blinked as if that hadn't occurred to her. Quistis didn't care. Facing the court when she did not have to interact with them was bad enough. The idea of being the center of attention and having to talk to all those people was more than a little intimidating right now. Quite honestly, just spending time alone with her cousins was a little intimidating to her. It felt like everything had changed so much that now her once closest companions seemed like strangers. But at least she had Seifer here with her. He was at least one thing that was proving constant.

* * *

><p>There were several things that Seifer really hadn't thought about when he'd decided that he needed bring Quistis to the Royal Court's attention. One of those things was the fact that he would no longer be able to have Quistis to himself. In fact, he almost thought he was seeing less of her now than before.<p>

It wasn't his Cariad's fault. In fact, she seemed to seek him out whenever possible. And Seifer was well aware that she frequently felt overwhelmed right now. It was very clear to him that Quistis was struggling to adjust to how things had change. It wasn't just the fact that she was returning to familiar places and people who had changed over the years she had been missing. There was also the fact that she was no longer bound by the gaes. After years of having to work around the restrictions on her and there being things that she just couldn't do, freedom was proving to be a bit of a challenge for her. Not that she didn't want her freedom, it was just that Quistis had the tendency to forget she had it at times.

Not that Seifer minded being her oasis of calm and safety amongst all of the chaos around her. And he really couldn't blame her for wanting to escape session with the seamstresses. It was not every day that a princess and a sorceress needed a complete wardrobe made for her, and the Royal Seamstresses were making the most of the opportunity. Which would explain why he and his lady were currently holed up in the library avoiding people.

Quistis did look far more relaxed than he had ever seen her before in a public place. Her nose was buried in a book and her feet were resting in his lap. Seifer himself was quite content to just sit there with his lady and not have to worry about anything.

"Do you think anyone will notice if we don't show up for lunch?"

Seifer chuckled. "Cariad, if we don't show up for lunch, they are going to send out search parties. I think you are going to have accept the fact that your uncle is at the point where he will call out the army is if you even appear to have gone missing."

She made a face. "It was not his fault."

"You know that. I know that. I think that even he knows that. But that doesn't keep him from feeling guilty that it happened or change the fact that he feels like he could have prevented it from happening in the first place." Seifer sighed. "It will get better with time. But they've only just learned what happened to you. You've dealt with it for years, but they're just getting used to the idea of it all."

Closing her book, Quistis sighed again. "I know. It's just…they look at me differently now. It hurts some times to see them so sad when they look at me. And they don't know me any more. I mean love Rinoa and Selphie to bits, but there are times when they start talking to me and seem complete strangers. We've missed so much of each other over the years and I just don't know how to bridge that gap."

Seifer just shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, Quistis. I think it just may take time. You two seem to do well enough during your magic lessons."

That made his lady smile. Seifer was well aware that Quistis' lessons with Matron and Rinoa were going very well. He wasn't at all surprised that Quistis was proving a natural when it came to magic or that she already had a lot of the ground work laid by her mother, even if Quistis hadn't realized it at the time. That was at least one place in all of this that Quistis felt on solid ground, and that was important. The more at home that Quistis felt right now, the better.

Because Seifer was well aware that they only had so much time. Summer Court was fairly relaxed and no one was pushing much. But when it was over, things would start getting far more serious. While Quistis' reappearance did have many benefits for the country, that did not mean that every one was happy about it. And she did not have the luxury of sitting on the sidelines. Sooner or later she would be forced to take part in Court politics and the more comfortable Quistis felt about being here the better. She was a power in more ways than one now, and Rinoa couldn't afford for her to become a pawn. But they weren't to that point yet, and Quistis had some time to readjust and prepare.

"There you are," Rinoa's voice disrupted their little oasis of calm. "I was looking for you two. Selphie and I figured it would be a good time catch Quistis up on the current politics."

Seifer groaned. Rinoa just frowned at him.

"Oh don't give me that. You've had her to yourself most of the summer. It's our turn now."

Seifer made a face. That was hardly fair. He and Quistis had spent most the summer stealing moments, and they deserved some time together that wasn't fraught when one of them looking over their shoulders. He understood that Rinoa wanted to reconnect with her cousin, but he rather doubted that politics was the best way to do that. And he knew for sure that Quistis certainly did not like people dictating what she should be doing. She'd had too much of that in her life. Now, if you gave her a choice or suggested something, she most often would go along with what the other party wanted.

And given the irritation he felt trickling through their bond, he would say that Rinoa had already started off on the wrong foot with this one.

"Do you think that we could wait until after lunch for that?" Quistis asked quietly. "I'd like to finish my reading."

Rinoa blinked slightly. "What are you reading?"

"A basic history of Centra. There is a lot about my heritage that I'm still learning."

Rinoa huffed. "That can wait. We need to get you caught up on current politics sooner rather than later. Summer Court won't last much longer, and I'd like to have you participating in it by the time we leave."

Quistis snapped her book shut. "I'm not sure that will be possible. I'm not up to dealing with more than a handful of people I do know most of the time. Quite frankly, attending a court event sounds like a recipe for giving me a panic attack, and I've been informed that at this point in my studies even with my knight present that would be a very bad thing. I am quite happy to talk about politics after lunch, but until then I'll be reading my book."

And with that Quistis stalked off. Seifer remained behind with a rather stunned looking Rinoa. He could feel his lady's anger and frustration through their bond, but he also knew that she needed some alone time to calm down.

"What was that?" Rinoa clearly didn't understand what had just happened.

"That is what happens when you push your cousin too far." Seifer gave the princess a stern look. "I know you mean well, Rinoa, but Quistis is struggling a great deal as it is. She doesn't need you pushing her. And giving her orders of any sort is going to make things even more awkward. It's a reminder she doesn't need, and I know you don't want to be compared to Oriana."

The Crown Princess looked horrified. "I didn't mean to…"

"I know," Seifer assured her. "And Quistis knows too. But you have to remember that she has spent years following order and being controlled. She's going to react badly to be given orders. And she's not the person you knew nor are you the girl she remembers. You both are going to have to get to know one another again, and I think it is going to have to be on her terms. You're going to have to be patient."

Rinoa sighed. "I don't want to be patient. We got her back. I want things to be like they used to between us."

Seifer sighed and shook his head. "Rinoa, it's never going to be the same as it was. Quistis isn't the same person as when she was younger, and neither are you. And you aren't going to be able to move on and have a relationship with her again unless you accept that."

And that was the real challenge that they really faced. For all that Quistis was home now, everything had changed, and if they couldn't figure out how to put things back together in a way that worked for everyone, it was going to splinter Rinoa's court.

* * *

><p>Quistis sat crossed legged on the floor as she brushed out her long hair. Rinoa was perched on her bed, idly twisting the rings on her necklace while Selphie braided her hair. She was really only half listening as her cousin traded the latest court gossip with Selphie. Quistis really didn't care all that much. Admittedly, there were some important tidbits that were rather fascinating like how just about any nobles connected to military has thrown their support behind herself and Seifer. While no one exactly was on Oriana's side of things now that her crimes had become clear, that didn't exactly mean that everyone supported Quistis' return. Her reappearance changed court dynamics quite a bit as did the fact that she was a sorceress and Seifer was her knight.<p>

Quistis was still easing herself into life as a part of the Royal Court. She was not really attending Court events yet, but Seifer had started a small campaign for her to get to know the other members of the Royal Court who weren't part of Rinoa's inner circle. Actually, he seemed to think that it was more important for her to get to know the outsiders. She could understand that actually. She would have time to get to know the new additions to Rinoa's court as well as to reforge her relationships with Rinoa and Selphie; they would be spending a lot of time together. But the rest of the Royal Court was another story.

She was very out of touch with court politics these days, and to be honest, she had just barely begun to participate in court events when she'd been gaesed. She hadn't really known the political lay of the land even then, so she had a lot to catch up on, and knowing both who she could trust and to what extent that she could trust them outside of Rinoa's inner circle was important. For one thing, it would keep her from making the all too easy mistake of saying too much to the wrong person. Quistis wasn't going to be able to keep to herself any more. Like it or not (and right now it was really too overwhelming to like), she was going to be a part of this community, and navigating court politics and relationships was something she was going to have to deal with.

And it wasn't all bad. Seifer had introduced her to a number of the younger nobles who were actually quite pleasant and that Quistis wouldn't mind getting to know better. Seifer seemed to have a knack for choosing people who weren't going to ask questions she didn't want to answer. It still felt like she had entered some sort of foreign country at times, but Quistis was beginning to feel like she understood the lay of the land.

She didn't quite know where she fit in any more. At least with Rinoa's court. She was a part of it, but her role really hadn't been defined. Rinoa and Selphie clearly had already established a system and were used to working together. Selphie was the one who did most of the intelligence gathering, picking up useful bits of gossip and other tidbits of information that might prove valuable. Selphie was the one to go to if you wanted to know who was courting who and how that effected the political situation. Quistis could easily see how that was useful, and it definitely gave Rinoa an edge at times.

What she didn't know was what sort of niche that she could fill. Rinoa didn't need another information gatherer, and anyway, Quistis knew she couldn't fill that role as effectively as Selphie. Rinoa herself was a sorceress and so did not really need Quistis in that capacity, plus Rinoa had more training in magic at this point than Quistis did. There really was not something unique that Quistis could contribute to her cousin's personal court at this point, and other than their blood connection, there was no real reason for her inclusion. While they might have been close once, that wasn't the case any more. And not being able to figure out how she might fit in, what role she might be able to play was bothering her. She didn't like feeling useless.

Quistis knew that she wasn't exactly useless, but she was finding much harder to adjust than she'd expected. Well, to be honest, she hadn't really thought about anything beyond getting home. That alone had seemed like an impossibility, so she hadn't even thought beyond it. But now that she was back where she belonged, Quistis found herself struggling to remember that she did belong here. The only things that really made her feel at home were in her magic lessons and when she was with Seifer. Even the palace had changed enough that it no longer felt like her home. More often than not she felt lost and out of place here.

"Quistis? Are you paying attention?" Rinoa's voice pulled her away from her thoughts. "What do you think about having another Centran style party to close out the Summer Court?"

She paused to consider the idea. "That might actually be a good idea. They are much more informal than our parties, and the one I attended seemed to go very well. Plus the relaxed atmosphere would probably be a good idea right now. Even if they aren't showing it much right now, with everything that has happened lately, people are pretty on edge. It also will show that we are not letting Oriana and her machinations aren't controlling us and our actions now."

Rinoa looked surprised. "That's not a bad point. Oriana certainly has put quite a damper on the Summer Court, and I was thinking that it might be a way of getting things up and rolling again. And if we can get at least the courting couples back to that, I'd count it as a success. This is supposed to be an opportunity for people to fall in love."

Quistis blinked at that. "Is that an issue now?"

Rinoa made a face. "Apparently, having plots to trap people in marriage going on puts a damper on romance."

She could certainly understand that. Oriana's plot had definitely affected her own romance, and she could easily imagine that others would be wary about their own romantic entanglements once Oriana's plot was revealed. Courtship was hard enough without having to second guess the motives of everyone involved.

"So," Selphie grinned, "if we are going to put romance back in the air, then we need to come up with quite a party."

The three of them quickly settled in to a discussion of the plans for the party, and Quistis felt herself relax. Maybe this would work out after all.

* * *

><p>Seifer was trying not to feel nervous. Normally, he had no problems interacting with King Caraway. The two men got along just fine, especially since Seifer considered Rinoa to practically be his sister. But that was before Seifer got himself romantically involved with the man's only niece. Now Seifer wasn't sure what to expect.<p>

"So, you're going to marry my niece." It was not a question.

"Yes, sir." Seifer didn't even have to think about his response. "Whenever she wants to."

"Interesting caveat," the king said.

Seifer shrugged. "Quistis has had enough decisions forced upon her or taken away from her. I'm not going to put her in a position where she feels like I'm making that decision for her. When we get married, it will be when we both feel ready to do so."

Caraway nodded. "Good. I am not fool enough to try and keep Quistis from something that she wants, and she has made it very clear that she wants you in her life. That said, I am not about to let anyone else hurt, so considered yourself warned. Understood?"

Seifer nodded. "Perfectly. I'd rather die myself than hurt her."

"I'll hold you to that."

With that settled, the atmosphere seemed to lighten. Most of the conversation revolved around what to do with Oriana. The punishment for her crimes was complicated by the fact that she was both a noble and the head of a noble family with ties to the royal family. Everything was going to have to be done exactly by the book if anything was going to stick. Seifer had no doubt that in the end, Oriana was going to get her comeuppance in the end, but he was frustrated with the amount of time it would take. At least they could make sure that the woman was kept locked up until she could be permanently dealt with.

Caraway also had some questions about just how Seifer had met Quistis and just what they had been up to before Seifer had brought her plight to Edea's attention. He had wanted to know everything that Seifer knew about Oriana and what she had done and any other suspicions about her that Seifer might have. It was very clear to Seifer that King Caraway planned to throw everything that he could at Countess Oriana.

"We do have a minor problem, you realize. Well at least until you marry Quistis."

Seifer blinked at the king. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I originally made you the Duke of Caledonia because we thought that Quistis was dead. Technically speaking, the duchy is still Quistis', which leaves you a duke without any lands."

"Do I need any until I marry Quistis?" Seifer asked. "I don't really need the land, and I have enough on my plate right now without adding the responsibility of running a duchy."

Caraway considered this. "You really should have lands of your own quite frankly before you marry Quistis, but we can worry about that later. I agree that you have bigger priorities right now. Some time after the Summer Court is over we can deal with that."

The man paused then gave Seifer a serious look. "How is Quistis really doing? She's too good at hiding what she feels, and I can't read her well any more."

Seifer sighed. "She's holding her own. It's taking time for her both to reestablish her former relationships, and she still struggling with being around crowds of people she doesn't know. She is happy though, and she is making progress even if it isn't as quickly as she'd like. I think that once Summer Court is over with and she can just be around Rinoa's court for awhile things will go a little smoother."

Sighing, Caraway nodded. "Good. Part of me still can't believe we got her back. She's so different than what I remember and yet at the same time, she's not. I am glad that you found her. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't found her when you did. We could have been looking at a much bigger mess both for Quistis personally and for us politically."

Seifer was able to make his escape soon after that. He very quickly set off in search of his lady. Where he found her surprised him to some extent. Well, Seifer was not at all surprised to find her on the beach. There was a reason he had gone looking for Quistis there. What did surprise him was to find that Quistis was in the middle of a group of young women. It took him a moment to process what he was looking at. Quistis was perched on a piece of driftwood with something held between her hands. Sitting right by her feet on the sand was Rinoa, who held her hands out about a foot apart from one another with something blue grey wrapped around them. Several of the other ladies, including Selphie, were either seated on other pieces of driftwood or on the sand.

After a moment of staring, Seifer finally realized that Quistis was knitting while Rinoa acted as a yarn holder. Seifer blinked. He hadn't known that Quistis could knit. And he wouldn't have expected her to have the supplies to knit at the moment. Then again, Rinoa had kept talking about taking her cousin shopping. What really did stand out to Seifer was the fact that Quistis was smiling and seemed fairly relaxed. And that hadn't happened when she was in a larger group of people in quite awhile.

"Learning to knit was one of the few benefits of being a servant," Quistis said, her fingers a constant blur of motion. "Though I've never gotten to work with materials as fine as these. Still, it is a useful skill."

"What are you making?" one of the younger ladies asked.

Quistis smiled. "A lace scarf. I'm not that talented compared to some of the women, but lace came naturally enough. Just don't ask me to knit a sweater. My attempts have been laughable to date."

"Is it hard to learn?" a dark haired girl asked.

"Not exactly. It does take quite a bit of practice though."

"Huh. I might want to try that," Lady Kara commented.

Quistis looked up and met his eyes. Her smile seemed to brighten. Kara followed the direction of her gaze and grinned.

"I can see we won't be having your full attention for the rest of the afternoon."

"Can you blame me?" Quistis carefully stowed her needles and the scarf so far in a little pouch. She carefully took the rest of the yarn from Rinoa. "Besides, watching me knit all afternoon can't be that interesting."

Nobody mentioned the fact that it was probably Quistis herself that was interesting to them as the group broke up. And as the others left, Seifer noted that while Quistis was a little more relaxed now, she hadn't been upset or unhappy before. In fact, he would say she had been enjoying herself. Once she'd put the yarn away, Seifer linked arms with her, and the two of them wandered their way down the beach.

In many ways, it was rather reminiscent of their earlier days, though really, that was only a few weeks, at most a month ago. It was rather hard to believe how quickly things had changed for them. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

* * *

><p>Quistis leaned into Seifer and let her mind drift. She was more than happy to just wander along the shoreline with Seifer. It had been a good day so far, but she was feeling rather drained. First she had gone shopping down in the village with Selphie and Rinoa which had been an experience in itself. The best part of it had been being able to purchase a nice set of knitting needles of her own and some truly lovely yarn. That outing had been followed by the impromptu gathering of some of the court ladies on the beach. Thankfully, the group had mostly consisted of people Quistis already knew a little, and it had ended up being quite fun.<p>

Even so, peace and quiet was nice now. Seifer didn't seem to care about making conversation, and she enjoyed the sound of the waves and his presence. While the two of them no longer had to sneak time together in order to see one another, they did not get to spend as much time alone together as Quistis would have liked. Of everyone, it was only Seifer and oddly enough Edea that she felt most comfortable around. With the two of them, she didn't feel the need to put on a good face if she was struggling.

Seifer wrapped his around her shoulders. "So, Cariad, have you made it home?"

She looked up at him startled, remembering that evening when he'd asked her what she wanted. Seifer smiled down at her. Quistis took a deep breath, considering his question.

"Yes. I think so."

"Good." He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Of course, you do know what that means."

"Oh?"

"It means I have to ask you again. What do you want, Quistis?"

She didn't have an immediate reply. Quistis couldn't think of anything that she really wanted with the same burning passion that she'd had about going home. At least, nothing that she didn't already have.

"Besides, you? I don't know."

He smiled at that. "I can work with that."

Seifer leaned in and kissed her.


	19. Happily Ever After

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or its characters. This is AU. Thank you to everyone who has followed and reviewed this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Happily Ever After<strong>

It was not that surprising, all in all, when Princess Quistis married Sir Almasy less than a year after her sudden return to the Royal Court. The two of them had been inseparable since her return, and there was also the fact that he was her knight. While the pair might not be quite as obvious about their infatuation as Princess Rinoa and Sir Leonhart were, it was still incredibly clear to everyone just how much they were in love.

The wedding had been rather subdued for a royal wedding. It had been a Centran style ceremony which really had surprised no one. Since her return and the reveal of her Centran heritage, the princess had thrown herself into exploring her Centran roots. The ceremony had been simple and brief, and the guest list had been quite small for a royal function, not more than a hundred people in all. Even so, it was celebrated all across the country. The young sorceress had become quite the popular figure since her reappearance.

Given how romantic their story was, it was no surprise that both the princess and her knight had become very popular public figures. Add to that the fact that her time spent as a servant had made many of the ordinary citizens feel that she was one of them, and it made for her being an extremely popular and influence figure. The princess herself seemed a little bit overwhelmed by the outpouring of support she got, but she was gracious, and quickly became a well known figure in her own duchy.

So the celebrations there in honor of her wedding were not surprising. Princess Quistis married her knight on a wind and wave swept beach. It was the first Centran wedding ceremony most of the guests had ever witnessed, but it turned out to be not that different from a Galbadian one. The bride was resplendent in white even if her gown was in a foreign style, and no witness could doubt the love and affection between the couple.

The pair settled in Caledonia, and even after their honeymoon, they were the main point of gossip for people with every thing from if Princess Quistis would take over some of the things Princess Rinoa had being doing as a sorceress for the country to when their first child would be born. At least, that was the case until Sir Leonhart's proposal to Princess Rinoa became the event of the year.


End file.
